7:19 am, March 18, 2026
The Auto30Club’s Inspiring Automotive Women Award winners have received their gongs at a special reception at The IMI Annual Awards Dinner.
Held on March 11 at the London InterContinental Hotel, Park Lane, the awards included the naming of the overall IMI and Auto30Club Inspiring Automotive Woman of The Year, which was Gemma Benbow, people and organisation director at Kia UK.
The 24 award winners were selected from 508 women nominated by their colleagues through the Auto30Club’s Who Inspires You Campaign.
The Auto30Club said these winners are ‘consciously and intentionally inclusive, they are inspirational role models, they are trailblazers and pioneers in roles traditionally filled by men, and they are building inclusive cultures’.
At the awards ceremony, founder of the Automotive 30% Club, Julia Muir, expressed special thanks and appreciation to former chief of Arnold Clark, Eddie Hawthorne, ‘for his valuable, unwavering and continued support as a patron of the Auto30Club’.
The club says that the majority of its members are male CEOs and MDs, but while change is being driven from the top, the awards act a ‘catalyst’ for change ‘throughout companies’.
In January, the club celebrated achieving its goal of securing 30% of automotive leadership roles being filled by women five years early.
Commenting on the awards, Muir said: ‘The Inspiring Automotive Women award winners are truly Changing the Game in automotive.
‘Amongst them were many who are the first – the first woman on the board, the first woman in a senior executive role, the first woman to fill a technical role that traditionally only men do.
‘They are working hard to ensure they are the first of many high performing women who will follow through the hole they have smashed through that glass ceiling.
‘Gemma Benbow, the Inspiring Automotive Woman of the Year has made an incredible impact at Kia UK, where, as the first and only female director she is not only driving change, but also being the change. She is a transformative leader whose strategic vision and unwavering commitment to diversity and inclusion has reshaped the culture of the organisation. She exemplifies the spirit of this award and is a truly inspiring Automotive Woman.
‘Congratulations to Gemma and all our IAW Award winners of 2026!’
The Auto30Club Inspiring Automotive Women Awards were sponsored by Autotrader, Close Brothers Motor Finance, Direct Affinity CX, Hyundai Capital UK, The IMI and TrustFord.
The IMI and Auto30Club Inspiring Automotive Woman of The Year Award Winner
Gemma Benbow, People and Organisation Director at Kia UK.
Auto30Club Inspiring Automotive Women 2026 Award Winners
Aliscia Burrows – Diversity and Inclusion Manager, TrustFord
Alyx Gregory – Head of Commercial Operations and Leasing, Carwow
Charnjit Saranna – Co Founder and Chief Operations Officer, EZOO
Clare Bradley – Commercial Director Motor, Close Brothers Motor Finance
Emma Johnson – Director Marketing, Toyota (GB) Plc
Gemma Benbow – People and Organisation Director, Kia UK
Gemma Tomlinson-Reynolds – Head of Retail Change, Implementation and Communication, Halfords
Georgia Spybey – Panel Technician, Solus
Hannah Yates – Head of Resourcing, Autotrader
Harriet Glover – Regional Director, Motus Commercials DAF
Heidi Physick – Chief People Officer, Oodle Car Finance
Holly Tuffnell – TPS Regional Performance Manager, VW Group UK
Katie Martin – Customer Experience Director, Group 1 Automotive
Kayleigh Smithers – Group HR Director, Johnsons Cars Ltd and Brayleys Cars Ltd
Lisa Jay – Range Rover Programme Chief, JLR
Lorraine Dodd – ISIT Director, Renault UK
Lottie Roberts – Operations Director, Direct Affinity CX
Mandisa Gordon – Finance Business Change Manager, JLR
Sarah Greaves – Director of Commercial Finance, Lithia UK
Sarah Sillars OBE HonFIMI – C-Suite and Board Advisor
Sian Hall – UK People Director, Lithia UK
Vicky Clarke – Head of Rental Operations ,Zenith Vehicles
Vicky Gardner – Retail Group Sales Director, Cox Automotive
Vikki Chauntry-Brooks – CMA General Manager, Vertu Motors
