Automotive News - November 9, 2015 - Supplement - 90W

20151109-Sup1--0090-NAT-CCI-AN_--

11/2/2015

12:51 PM

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90W * NOVEMBER 9, 2015

L E A D I N G

W O M E N

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ALISON SPITZER ●
President | Spitzer Automotive | Cleveland | Age:
35 | Education: B.A., political science and
international relations, Elon University; M.A.,
international communications, American
University
● What attracted you to the auto industry? I am fourth
generation in the auto industry, and I never thought I
would get involved in the auto industry. I was working in
New York City in investments, and one day I woke up and
decided I could make a bigger impact if I worked in the
auto industry. I wanted to find a way to make a
difference.
● First automotive job: In July 2007, I was the assistant
to the general manager at Spitzer Chrysler-Dodge-JeepRam in Florida. I did not call my dad for the job; instead I
called the GM and got the
job. Central business
"We are retail, but development was located
there, but no one was
we don't operate
online/e-commerce,
like traditional retail working
so after nine to 10 months,
outlets that often
I took over that area.
● Big break: My big break
attract a lot of
was the timing of when I got
women
into the business. If I had
employees. We
started at any other time, it
need to find a way wouldn't have been the
same. In 2007, we had the
to attract women
recession and our company
by offering benefits was cut in half overnight. I
had to learn by baptism by
that are attractive
fire. We were cutting
to them."
expenses and I was very
involved with lobbying efforts
to change the law on dealer ownership. I worked with my
dad day and night. Without this experience, I wouldn't
have made the same impression on our employees and
other key relationships. Hopefully, I learned enough to
never go through this again. I feel I can withstand any
challenge in the future.
● What is the major challenge you've faced in your
career? A major challenge I have faced is just being
myself and being comfortable with that. I had to
recognize that leading my way is OK.
● Who has had the biggest influence on your career? It
takes a village. I didn't have a traditional dealership
career so I need people around me to help me. This
includes the GMs, COO and my father - there is a lot of

CHERLYN FOSTER
Manufacturing Manager, Finishing and
Automotive | Alcoa | Davenport, Iowa | Age: 40 |
Education: B.S., metallurgical engineering,
Colorado School of Mines; MBA, St. Ambrose
University
● What attracted you to the auto industry? I started as
a metallurgical engineer and what attracted me to that
engineering field was the ability to understand how
things are made and to be a part of creating things that
people use in their everyday life.
Coming out of college I was looking for a strong metals
based company. I found Alcoa. What attracted me to this
company was the technical team here felt like a really
strong community.
● First automotive job: I was a metallurgical engineer in
our hot rolling area in about 1998. We were processing
automotive so I had some projects as a metallurgical
engineer in our hot rolling department.
● Big break: When I was given the opportunity to move
into production leadership. I became a general
supervisor in 2004 and that put me on the path of being
able to really grow my career.
● What is the major challenge you've faced in your
career? The biggest challenge I've encountered is
pulling off our automotive growth project here at
Davenport. Big investment, short timelines. So to come
in here and be successful was really a challenge. We

back-and-forth and collaboration.
● What should be done to encourage women to enter
the auto industry? We need to look in the mirror. We are
retail, but we don't operate like traditional retail outlets
that often attract a lot of women employees. We need to
find a way to attract women by offering benefits that are
attractive to them. This might include offering flexible
schedules or part-time work. We need to offer training
and mentors.
● Tell us about your family. I am the eldest of six
children. I had a wonderful childhood, and our parents
encouraged us to find our individual interests and
passions. I was never pushed into the auto industry. My
journey led me back to this point - this is my choice.
Currently, I am married to my best friend, who I knew in
high school but didn't start dating until we were in our
20s. My husband is also in the dealership business. I
didn't want this but he is tremendously successful. He is
currently responsible for all of our sales operations. We
have three children: Vera, 6; Archer, 4; and Gus, 1.

● What's your favorite weekend activity? Hiking with
the kids or trying out a new restaurant.
● Are you able to maintain friendships? Yes. My three
best friends from college and I get together once a year,
and we text almost daily.
● If you could have dinner with anyone, living or dead,
who would it be? Warren Buffett. I would love to pick his
brain and hear his vision on this industry for the future.
He just made a huge investment in this industry.
● What's your guilty pleasure? A very nice meal, alone
with my husband.
● When and where was your last vacation? Ocean Reef
in the Florida Keys in June with my college friends.
● Best advice you've ever gotten? At a company
retreat, in a state park, a 93-year-old bartender told me
his secret: "I just don't worry about anything. What is
going to happen is going to happen."
- PJ Eichten

●
had a lot of headwinds in terms of the schedule and
some of the new product applications we were going
after and then just the scope of the project and what it
meant for the plant.
Ford was betting their highest production vehicle on
making this huge change [to an aluminum body] and then
us playing such a big part of that, there was just basically
no room to fail. We knew we had to succeed, we had to
be on time and we had to deliver them the metal that
they needed.
● What should be done to encourage women to enter
the auto industry? A lot of what's going on right now
with STEM education, I think that industries need to
support that. The key is getting young ladies interested
when they're seeing that maybe they're a little bit good
at math or science, helping them understand how that's
going to connect into a career that's interesting. That's
what happened to me. Somebody came in and talked to
my eighth grade science class about being an engineer
and it connected.
● Tell us about your family. My husband stays home
full time, so that allows me to have greater
opportunities for my career and also takes some stress
off of our home life. My two kids are Rocky and Katie.
● Name one thing about yourself that most people
don't know. I think people see me as pretty straightlaced in the work environment so they're surprised that I
enjoy getting out and having a good time, having an
adventure, that sort of thing.

I did take some time this year to spend with some
friends. Earlier this year my girlfriend and I went to
Phoenix to see a U2 concert. That surprised some folks
that I would travel and go to a concert like that.
● If you could have dinner with anyone, living or dead,
who would it be? Madeleine Albright. I saw her speak
when I was in college and she just impressed me as a
really incredible lady.
- Ryan Beene

Automotive News - November 9, 2015 - Supplement

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