Automotive News - November 9, 2015 - Supplement - 29W

20151109-Sup1--0029-NAT-CCI-AN_--

11/3/2015

10:36 AM

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NOVEMBER 9, 2015 * 29W

L E A D I N G

W O M E N

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There are dozens of groups in and around the auto industry dedicated to advancing women.
While they have different goals and cater to different people, one theme unites them - the desire to see
women get ahead in the workplace and in the classroom. Here's a look at 12 of those groups.

WORKING TOGETHER
REPORTING BY JOHN IRWIN

> Inforum AutomotiveNEXT
inforummichigan.org/automotivenext
Detroit

> WTS
wtsinternational.org
@WTS_Org
Washington
Who's in charge:
CEO Marcia Ferranto
How many members: About 6,000
History: The group was founded in 1977 in
Washington by a group of women in the
transportation industry who felt they were not getting
enough support. Ferranto said, "Women weren't
really permitted to leave work in 1977 to go to be
part of a professional group, but they could be part of
a seminar." Hence the name Women's
Transportation Seminar.
Description: WTS "seeks to attract, retain and
advance women through its professional programs,
networking opportunities and access to industry and
government leaders."
Accomplishment: Ferranto said the group has
succeeded in helping to attract, retain and advance
women's careers in the transportation industry, as
evidenced by the group's growth. She said more work
needs to be done. "Although the landscape has
changed a little bit from 1977, it hasn't really
changed that much," she said. "It's still such small
growth, relatively speaking."
How the group is creating change: WTS launched
the WTS Executive Leadership Program in October to
advance the goal of putting more women in C-suite
positions in transportation fields.
Surprising fact: The group includes many men who
share the goal of seeing more women advance in
transportation fields. "It's not men holding women
back in our culture," Ferranto said. "It's our culture
itself. And our culture is changing."
Ferranto on why she's with WTS: "As a citizen, I've
grown to believe that transportation is everything. It's
an incredibly important time in our economy to bring
young people in, especially women, to the industry
and to see them advance."

Who's in charge:
Terry Barclay, CEO,
and Jacqueline
Wiggins, COO
How many members: 400
History: AutomotiveNEXT was founded in 2011 at
Inforum's annual North American International Auto
Show breakfast. The group is aimed at closing the talent
gap and strengthening the talent pipeline.
Description: "It was clear to top-ranking women
executives in automotive that the talent gap wasn't
going to get solved on its own, and so women leaders in
the industry came together with Inforum to create
AutomotiveNEXT," Wiggins said. "Today,
AutomotiveNEXT's focus is still on strengthening the
talent pipeline. The business case for more women
leaders in automotive has been made. Now,
AutomotiveNEXT is focused on helping companies
understand the elements that create environments for
talent to thrive."
Accomplishment: Wiggins said that through three
annual events, AutomotiveNEXT has "reached more
than 500 students from 30 schools with a consistent
message to young women that no other industry offers
as exciting a range of career opportunities."
How the group is creating change: Wiggins said

AutomotiveNEXT provides a "supportive yet challenging
community for women at every stage in their careers"
through initiatives such as its Cross-Company Mentoring
Program and AutomotiveNEXT 1:1, which brings
students and industry leaders together to learn and
network.
Surprising fact: Mary Barra is a member of Inforum and
helped to launch AutomotiveNEXT when she was vice
president of global human resources at General Motors.
Wiggins on why she's with AutomotiveNEXT:
"AutomotiveNEXT is a powerful network and supportive
community for women in automotive that inspires and
empowers them to lean in, achieve their full potential
and make a lasting impact in the industry."

> SEMA Businesswomen's Network
sema.org/sbn
@SEMAsbn
Diamond Bar, Calif.
Who's in charge: Chris Kersting, CEO of the Specialty
Equipment Market Association
How many members: More than 500
History: The SBN was founded in 1993 by Amy Faulk and
Charlie Van Cleve-Schmidt. "It started as a small, informal
group of women leaders and has grown to be a significant
entity that has inspired hundreds," Kersting said.
Description: "The SBN is focused on providing
networking, education and recognition opportunities for
professional women in the specialty equipment industry,
thereby enhancing their careers and positively impacting
the growth of the entire automotive aftermarket,"
Kersting said.

> Society of Women Engineers

Accomplishment:
Kersting pointed
to the SEMA
Mustang Build that SBN held a few years ago. "The allwomen build was a powerful project that resulted in
nationwide coverage and raised awareness of women's
role in our industry."
How the group is creating change: "The SBN is
encouraging and supporting women to get involved with
the industry. Industry diversity is really what makes the
industry thrive," Kersting said.
Surprising fact: "The SBN is about more than just
gender," Kersting said. "So really, it shouldn't come as
any surprise that there are many men involved."
What motivates Kersting? Kersting calls the passion
and enthusiasm in the industry "infectious."

> Women in Technology

societyofwomenengineers.swe.org
@SWEtalk
Chicago

mywit.org
@witatl
Atlanta

Who's in charge: CEO Karen Horting
How many members: About 34,000
History: The group was founded in
1950 to "give women engineers a
unique place and voice within the
engineering industry."
Description: The group is dedicated to
giving women in the field a chance to
network and grow, in addition to
reaching out to students in grade
school and high school to explain the
opportunities engineering provides.
Accomplishment: The group's annual
conference, the largest for female
engineers in the country, has been
growing in attendance by about 1,000
per year, Horting said.

Who's in charge: Executive
Director Sandy Welfare
How many members: About 11,000
History: The group was founded in
1992 to serve women in the Georgia
technology community and has grown to
the point where more than 1,000
professionals attend WIT forums every
year.
Description: The group provides
opportunities for professional
development through its WIT Executive
Readiness and WIT Careers in Action
pages, in addition to its philanthropic
and educational programs that
encourage young women to enter

How the group is creating change:
Horting said SWE has placed an
emphasis on working with employees to
create an inclusive culture in a field
where fewer than one in five of all
engineering degrees in the U.S. is
earned by a woman.
Horting on why she's with SWE: "It felt
like a place where I could make a
difference. The fact that it is an
organization that is helping people is
really attractive."

STEM areas.
Accomplishment: WIT
holds an annual WIT
Connect event at which
women can network with industry
leaders. Additionally, it holds Women of
the Year awards, recognizing female
leaders in the industry who are an
inspiration in their communities.
How the group is creating change:
Welfare said WIT has allowed women in
technology in the Georgia region to
connect with "some of the best tech
leaders in Georgia."
Welfare on why she's with WIT: "For
me, this is marrying my previous
corporate background with nonprofit
work."
continued on next page

http://www.inforummichigan.org/automotivenext http://www.wtsinternational.org http://www.sema.org/sbn http://societyofwomenengineers.swe.org http://www.mywit.org

Automotive News - November 9, 2015 - Supplement

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