Five years ago, the conversation was centred on one question: How do we attract more women into automotive? Today, the conversation is very different.
We’re no longer asking whether the industry needs more diverse talent. That argument has largely been won. Instead, the challenge is creating businesses where talented people choose to stay, develop and lead. In many ways, that’s a much harder task.
The good news is that genuine progress has been made. Perhaps the biggest change since 2020 has been visibility. Talented women have always been part of this industry, working across dealerships, manufacturers, suppliers, technology businesses and industry bodies. The difference today is that more women are leading those organisations and, just as importantly, their stories are being shared.
Visibility matters because role models create possibility. When people see leaders who look like them, they begin to believe those careers are within reach. That doesn’t just inspire future leaders; it also helps challenge long-held perceptions of what leadership in automotive looks like.
The conversation around diversity has matured too. Five years ago, diversity and inclusion were often viewed as initiatives running alongside the business. Today, more organisations recognise that attracting diverse talent is fundamental to solving skills shortages, better reflecting customers and building the innovative businesses our industry will need for the future.
That represents real progress. But progress isn’t the finish line. The industry has become much better at talking about attraction. It now needs to become equally good at retention.
Too many talented women still leave the industry during the middle stages of their careers. Often it isn’t because they lack ambition or ability. It’s because they can’t see a clear route to progression or don’t feel they truly belong. You can’t recruit your way out of a retention problem.
Bringing talented people into the industry is only the beginning. If the culture they experience doesn’t match the promises made during recruitment, businesses risk losing exactly the people they worked so hard to attract.
That’s why the next phase of progress has to focus on culture. Flexible working, inclusive leadership, career development and transparent promotion shouldn’t be viewed as employee benefits. They are business essentials. People are far more likely to build long-term careers when they can see opportunities to grow and know they will be supported along the way.
We’re also having more meaningful conversations about what inclusion really means. It’s no longer simply about increasing numbers. It’s about creating environments where people can perform at their best, feel valued for their contribution and have equal access to opportunities.
Awareness has increased significantly across the industry, but consistent execution is still catching up. Cultural change doesn’t happen because an organisation updates a policy or launches a recruitment campaign. It happens through everyday leadership, everyday behaviours and the experiences people have once they join the business.
The organisations making the greatest progress understand this. They don’t treat inclusion as an HR initiative; they see it as part of their overall business strategy. They invest in developing people, create clear career pathways and recognise the importance of both mentoring and sponsorship.
The difference matters. Mentors offer guidance, advice and encouragement. Sponsors create opportunity. They open doors, recommend people for leadership roles, advocate for emerging talent and help ensure potential doesn’t go unnoticed. Many talented women don’t lack capability. What they sometimes lack is visibility and access to influential networks. Sponsorship helps bridge that gap.
Leadership also has a vital role to play. The next five years require leaders to move beyond advocacy and embrace accountability. That means challenging outdated assumptions, creating opportunities for diverse voices to be heard and measuring progress with the same discipline applied to every other strategic business priority.
Importantly, this isn’t solely a women’s issue. The businesses making the greatest progress are those where men and women work together to build more inclusive organisations. Diverse leadership isn’t simply good for employees; it strengthens decision-making, encourages innovation and creates more resilient businesses.
Looking ahead to 2030, we hope success is no longer measured by how many women enter the automotive industry. Instead, we would like to see balanced leadership teams across every part of the sector, stronger talent pipelines into technical and commercial roles, and workplaces where flexible careers, inclusive cultures and equal opportunities are simply how business is done.
Most of all, we would like us to stop talking about whether women belong in automotive because that question should already have been answered. Instead, we would like us to be talking about the leaders shaping the future of our industry. Some of those leaders will be women. Some will be men. And the fact that we no longer notice the difference will be the clearest sign that we’ve succeeded.
For women joining the industry today, our advice is simple. Be curious. Become an expert in your field. Build strong relationships. Seek out mentors and sponsors who will champion your development. Don’t wait until you feel completely ready before stepping forward because confidence is often built through experience, not before it.
Most importantly, never feel you have to fit an existing leadership mould. Automotive doesn’t need more people who think the same. It needs different perspectives, different experiences and different leadership styles. Authenticity isn’t something to hide; it’s one of the greatest strengths future leaders can bring.
