This International Women’s Day, dealers in the industry have highlighted the importance of representation of women in leadership roles.
The National Franchised Dealers association (NFDA) has shared inspiring posts from members.
An initiative developed by Lookers Motor Group is its “Mission Gender Equity” female mentoring programme, in partnership with social impact organisation Moving Ahead, led by head of learning and development Danny Bishop.
Lookers, along with the Automotive 30% club, have highlighted the importance of inclusivity and initiatives.
According to SMMT figures published in November 2023, average representation for women in the industry was under 20%.
Elsewhere, International Motors highlighted the importance of representation with an event alongside Subaru UK.
International Motors employs 186 people, of which 55 are women, a 29.6% representation across the automotive organisation which exceeds the industry average.
Lorraine Bishton, the first female md at Subaru UK, commented: “Having recently joined IML as Subaru MD, it is fantastic to see so many women employed by the company, many of whom are in senior management roles.
“Within my direct report staff members, I have a female representation of almost 64%, which far exceeds the industry average and reflects IML’s commitment to diversity across the organisation.”