AUTOCAR REVEALS TOP 100 BRITISH WOMEN IN THE CAR INDUSTRY

Citroën’s Global CEO Linda Jackson has been named as the most influential British woman in the car industry in an initiative by UK’s longest-standing and most respected motoring brand, Autocar.

Autocar has identified the top 100 British women working in the automotive sector as it seeks to celebrate the role of women in the industry and to address the challenges they face. The list has been published in a dedicated section of the Autocar website at www.autocar.co.uk/greatbritishwomen. An associated event will feature a panel who will debate the issues more widely.

At a judging day held jointly with the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), exceptional work was showcased in a series of categories – Executive, Design, Product Development, Manufacturing, Purchasing, Communications, Sales, Marketing, Motorsport, HR, and Rising Stars.

Winners have been announced for each category, with Jackson topping the Executive category and being named the most influential overall for her decisive leadership of iconic French manufacturer Citroën, which has been taken back to its roots of innovation and bold design.

Other individual category winners include Yorkshire-born Helen Emsley, who now leads the design team for GMC in the US. Here in the UK, two Jaguar Land Rover employees, DanellaBagnall and Fiona Pargeter, take the Product Development and Communications plaudits respectively.

The full list of category winners is as follows:

Executive and overall winner

Linda Jackson, Chief Executive Officer, Automobiles Citroën SA

Design

Helen Emsley, Executive Director, Global Design and User Experience, GMC

Product development

DanellaBagnall, F-Pace Chief Product Engineer, Jaguar Land Rover

Manufacturing

Josephine Payne, Global Assembly and Test Manager, Powertrain Manufacturing Engineering, Ford Motor Company

Communications

Fiona Pargeter, Head of Global PR Communications, Jaguar Land Rover

Purchasing

Julia Woodhouse, Director, Global Powertrain Components and Driveline Purchasing, Ford Motor Company

Sales

Angela Shepherd, Network Operations Director, Mercedes-Benz Cars UK

Marketing

Lisa Brankin, Marketing Director, Ford of Britain

Motorsport

Claire Williams, Deputy Team Principal, Williams F1

Human resources

Monique Carter, Group Human Resources Director, GKN

Autocar Editorial Director Jim Holder said: “The achievements on our list of 100 outstanding British women in the global car industry are breathtaking and a testimony to the breadth of skills and capability in the sector.

“We recognise that challenges exist in the industry we love, which may deter women from pursuing an automotive career, as well as the implications that the underrepresentation of women could pose for the future of the industry. This is something that needs to be rectified.

“By highlighting the achievements of great British women who continue to make a considerable impact on the global automotive landscape, we hope to stimulate interest in what is an exciting and rewarding career.”

The judging panel for the initiative included experts from Autocar’s editorial department as well as SMMT Chief Executive Mike Hawes and Director of Communications and International, TamzenIsacsson.

The Autocar Great British Women in the Car Industry initiative is in partnership with the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), sponsored by Direct Line Group, Ford, and Jaguar Land Rover, and supported by Gaia Innovation and KPMG.