The Speakers
![Penny Weatherup - People Director, VW Group UK [photograph]](https://www.automotive30club.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Penny-Weatherup-People-Director-VW-Group-UK-1-1-b.jpg)
Penny Weatherup - People Director, VW Group UK
Penny Weatherup is Volkswagen Group UK’s People Director, a position she has held since 2016. A deep understanding and knowledge of the business and its people was the basis of Penny’s appointment to the board in May 2016. For Penny, people have to be at the heart of any change, and she has established a successful strategy that supports and enables the rapid operational and accompanying cultural transformation of Volkswagen Group UK. Creating an environment where everybody can be themselves, collaborate, make a difference and feel valued for their contribution is high on her agenda. She is a passionate advocate of identity and cognitive diversity, while her focus on communication, communication, and more communication has become a central tenet of the Volkswagen Group UK culture. Outside work, Penny is a family person at heart, and is happiest spending time with her husband, extended family & close friends. Penny was named as an Inspiring Automotive Women Award winner in 2023.
Julia Muir, Founder Automotive 30% Club, Author “Change the Game: the Leader’s Route Map to a Winning Gender Balanced Business”
Julia has worked in the automotive sector for 30 years, across many functions including retailing, industrial relations, HR, training, recruitment, product development, brand management, sales, marketing and communications. She started her career at Perrys Motor Sales and moved to Ford Motor Company where she stayed for 11 years, working in various roles in Ford of Britain and Ford of Europe. She is a published author and business consultant. She founded the Automotive 30% Club in 2016 and has grown it to its current membership of over 70 automotive leaders, who are committed to increasing female representation in the sector. Julia was awarded the Sue Brownson Award for Outstanding Leadership in Automotive by The IMI in 2022 and awarded an Honorary Fellowship of The IMI in 2023.