In recent months I’ve attended some incredible industry events including Autocar Great Women, Auto 30% club, Top Women in EV, and SheSaas, all of which led me to thinking about the talent in our industry, and the running theme of diversity and inclusion.
I can’t help but feel that the industry we know and love stands at a crossroads. Historically seen as a male-dominated field, we continue to grapple with longstanding imbalances in diversity, particularly with regards to gender representation.
With women accounting for 46% of driving licence holders and making up a substantial share of vehicle purchasing decisions, the question arises – why?
There remains a real disconnect between those who buy cars and those who sell, design, and market them. It’s time we stopped viewing this as a diversity challenge, and more as a matter of meritocracy.
Today, just under 20% of the UK automotive workforce is female. At board level, that figure drops to 10%. In dealerships, only 22% of personnel are women. In technical repair and maintenance roles (areas facing significant labour shortages) women make up just 12%. This stark imbalance becomes increasingly prevalent when viewed against the backdrop of a diverse, modern customer base.
What meritocracy means, and why it matters
In a true meritocracy, talent is recognised and nurtured regardless of gender, race, or background. But when minority groups are underrepresented in key roles and leadership positions, businesses are not drawing from the full spectrum of talent available. Instead, they risk stagnation – not due to a lack of capable individuals, but because of structural barriers and societal expectations that hinder true progression.
Ultimately, we have to stop promoting the wrong people based on confirmation bias, and start looking more closely at individual merit and achievement on skill and performance.
The business case for balance
The business case for a representative workforce is well-documented: diverse teams make better decisions, are more innovative, and perform better financially. When leadership better reflects the customer, organisations become more attuned to buyer behaviour, needs, and preferences.
Women and men, for instance, often approach vehicle purchasing differently. As I discussed recently with Mohammed Lone in our recent Keyloop DriveTime Podcast, research shows women prioritise price, safety, and practicality, while men may lean towards style and speed! For example, over 65% of female EV drivers feel that safety is very important, compared to just half of male EV drivers – and yet this is rarely reflected in the respective marketing of EVs.
But with so few female salespeople or leaders in dealerships, many women feel disconnected, and alienated from the car-buying experience, which presents a massively missed opportunity for brands seeking to build loyalty and trust. Having had this exact conversation with a number of CEOs at the 30% Club it was agreed that women perform exceptionally well, but attracting them, especially in automotive retail requires leaders to break persistent industry stereotypes; something which inevitably will take time.
With a huge number of talented, digital native candidates now graduating and entering the world of work, it’s time to think about apprenticeships and early careers initiatives. By taking a leaf out of Jaguar Landrover’s book and offering opportunities to individuals on merit, we could hold the key to addressing the widening skills gap.
Likewise, examining outdated processes and thinking about initiatives such as paternity leave, could be key in making space and allowing for flexibility and career progression on merit, which in turn attracts a broader breadth of talent, Nicole Melillo Shaw recently spoke at the AutoCar Great Women event about being asked who in the family would be taking the parental leave when she had her baby, this approach in Sweden shows what is possible. This year’s event was to celebrate rising stars, Racheal Prasher invited the apprentice class of 2025 young women up to take a well-deserved round of applause.
Bridging the gap: The role of women-in-automotive initiatives
As I wait with bated breath to pass over the Barbara Cox award to the next talented woman, I’ve been reflecting on gender representation in our industry. A 9.2% median gender pay gap in the motor manufacturing industry, along with survey data showing one in three women would never consider a career in automotive, illustrates just how deep-rooted the perception problem is.
If companies want to attract the best minds, regardless of gender, they must actively reshape these perceptions. To achieve true balance and representation, organisations need to shine a spotlight on their own biases. This must begin at the hiring stage, but it cannot end there. To sustain a meritocracy, companies need to invest in education, professional development, and career mobility, Empowering Auto, a not for profit in Canada I work with, brings OEMs, Universities, retailers and lenders together to ensure automotive wins and retains a good share of the talent.
The first step towards a true meritocracy is building the infrastructure to support it. On the back of last year’s Barbara Cox award, I pitched and launched our own ERG at Keyloop, to ensure we did a better job. We had industry wide support, and now with KeyShift in place, we can truly focus on driving education, removing barriers and creating real career pathways for women in the industry.
Through mentorship programmes, leadership development, and targeted recruitment efforts, these initiatives aim to open the door to underutilised talent. It’s not about promoting people for diversity’s sake – it’s about ensuring that high-potential individuals aren’t overlooked simply because they don’t fit the outdated mould of what an automotive industry leader “looks like.”
The Road Ahead
Only by addressing systemic challenges like unconscious bias, gendered expectations, and the confidence gap can we create an environment where the best people rise, regardless of their gender. That’s not just fairness, it’s good business. Building a workforce that better reflects the customers we serve requires sustained effort, accountability, and cultural change. This isn’t about quotas; it’s about realising the potential of every individual and ensuring that internal teams reflect the customers they serve.
By fostering inclusive cultures, championing diverse leadership, and aligning workforce demographics with customer realities, we won’t just create better businesses – we’ll create a better industry.