“I am delighted to represent Toyota as a founding patron and member of the 30% Automotive Club; championing diversity and inclusion is close to my heart as well as being really important to everyone at TGB.”
Scott Thompson, President and Managing Director of Toyota (GB) plc
Diane Torres, Managing Director of Nissan GB
“Diversity, Equity and Inclusion has been a priority at Nissan GB for some time, with measures taken over the last few years to create a workplace culture that allows everyone to engage fully and give their best. These have included flexible working, new progressive policies, the introduction of several inclusive employee networks, and changes to the office environment...”
"We want to reward good work and we want to find the best people and offer them a career for life. By creating great opportunities for employees, and learning from organisations including the Automotive 30% Club, we will address the gender balance and help transform the automotive industry."
"Gender balance is a subject that's really close to my heart - my wife and I met in the car industry. She started on the manufacturer's side and ended up on the retail side, and that had challenges along the way. So that's given me a close insight into what it used to be like for females in our world."
For Catherine, the most powerful thing about the Automotive 30% Club, is the dual approach to driving change – from the top down and the bottom up. A good number of the CEOs and leaders of the biggest businesses in the industry are onboard and so we should have a substantial impact if we all engage and work together.
“Those of us who have spent our working lives in the automotive industry know that this is a results-driven business, and ensuring that the companies we lead stand out as diverse, representative meritocracies is a target we can all surely commit to.”
"Tom is passionate about addressing the gender balance in the automotive technology sector and building a diverse workplace. From the leadership team and throughout the organisation, he believes that the best decisions will be made by creating an environment that enables diverse and creative thinking."
Throughout the years of trying to fit into a different mould, I realised that while I can find success in trying to act like a male colleague would, I can be more successful as myself. That’s why I’m so committed to helping other women come to that realisation.
Annick Jourdenais, Chief Financial Officer, LKQ Euro Car Parts
Martin Forbes, President, Cox Automotive International
Martin believes that the real opportunity for inclusion and diversity is to focus on being open-minded. He comments: "The issue is not necessarily lack of diverse talent within the industry, but employers only hiring like-minded people."