9:18 am, January 15, 2025
The Automotive 30% Club has announced the winners of its Inspiring Automotive Women Awards 2025.
The gongs recognise ‘incredible women who are creating inclusive cultures in their organisations and are personally acting to encourage other women to join the sector’, said the organisation.
For 2025, the Automotive 30% Club said it had chosen to honour women who are trailblazers in role that are traditionally occupied but men, and HR executives who are making changes in their organisations to ensure women succeed as well as their male colleagues.
Nominations were made through the ‘Inspiring Automotive Women – Who Inspires You?’ LinkedIn campaign that ran in July 2024, and was sponsored by the Lithia UK businesses Evans Halshaw, Stratstone and Jardine Motors Group.
In total, 508 nominations were received from companies in the Club and outside of it.
The winners include two special gongs – Special Recognition – for effectively including and communicating with the female EV customer – and Founder’s Award – which honours services to create a female apprentice talent pipeline through schools engagement and inclusive apprentice search programmes.
The trophies will handed out on March 12 in a private ceremony at The IMI Annual Awards Dinner.
The overall Inspiring Automotive Woman of The Year Award Winner will be presented with her award at The IMI main awards ceremony.
Commenting, founder of the Automotive 30% Club, Julia Muir (pictured), said: ‘Congratulations to all our Inspiring Automotive Women Award Winners. They are working hard above and beyond their day jobs to ensure that the automotive industry is a place where women of all profiles can thrive.
‘It is fabulous to see so many fantastic women inspiring their colleagues to build inclusive businesses.’
Last year, Muir appeared on the Car Dealer Podcast to discuss the lack of female representation within the automotive industry, and how the motor trade is not doing enough to help women to progress in the sector. You can listen to the recording here.
Inspiring Automotive Women 2025 award winners
- Lynne McBurney – group people director, Arnold Clark
- Catherine Faiers – chief operating officer, Auto Trader
- Jessica Montgomery – master technician, Vertu Motors Group
- Sally Foote – chief commercial officer – sell my car, Carwow
- Nicola Jackson – partner support executive, Close Brothers Motor Finance
- Sam Panayides – sales director, Cox Automotive
- Melanie Phillips – site manager, DLG Auto Services
- Amanda Yasmin Houssein – director of product portfolio, Enterprise Mobility
- Karena Shahid – regional account manager, LKQ Euro Car Parts
- Laura Giri – lead garage trainer, First Step Trust
- Justine Rebecca Bates – people director, Group 1 Automotive
- Tracey Newton – chief people officer, JCT600
- Claire Bell – head of diversity and inclusion, Lithia UK
- Jenna Randall – general manager, Roco Truck Bodies
- Karen Greenwood – head of HR, Solus Accident Repair Centres
- Nicola Sutherland – people and culture director, Steer Automotive Group
- Katie Grey – technical trainer, Thatcham Research
- Carolyn Bundey – senior manager strategic projects, Toyota GB
- Vikki Gill – business technical support manager, TrustFord
- Rachel Harrison – group vehicle operations & logistics manager, VW Group UK
- Louise Baker – company director, Womanic
- Olivia Mills – remarketing manager, Zenith
Special Recognition winners
- Erin Baker – editorial director, Auto Trader
- Michelle Breffitt – co-founder, Women Drive Electric
The 2025 Automotive 30% Club Founder’s Award
- Nicola Thompson – partnership integration marketing manager, Vertu Motors Group
