Five Leading Women in the Automotive Industry

Mary Barra

by Jenna Gail Julian

GM Authority

Mary Barra, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of General Motors Company (GM), became the first female CEO in the automotive industry in 2014. Admirably, she was named the second most powerful woman in 2018 and the fifth in 2019 on Forbes’ “Power Women” list. She was also featured on the cover of Time’s “100 Most Influential People in the World” in 2014. Recently, Barra was honorably awarded first place in the autos and auto parts sector in Institutional Investor’s yearly survey of top executives.

Barra began her career with GM in 1980 when she was just eighteen years old. She started as a co-op student and went on to hold a variety of engineering and administrative positions, including the Senior and Executive Vice President of the company’s Global Product Development, which truly affirms what it means to move up the ladder in the corporate world. 

It is very well-known that Barra has an incredibly inclusive and bipartisan leadership style that seeks to promote a collaborative and open work environment where employees feel comfortable to offer their own perspectives. When speaking to Good Morning America about her purpose in 2017, she expressed, “My love of math and science got me here… [When I started studying engineering], there weren’t that many women… but I hope my story can encourage others to be whatever and whoever they want… Now, I mentor young women to be present at the table and make their voice heard.”

Linda Hasenfratz

by Kayla Butler

Canadian Business

Linda Hasenfratz is the President, Chairwoman and CEO of Linamar, Canada’s second-largest automobile parts manufacturer. When she took over her father’s company in 2002, there were a few difficult years followed by double-digit growth that increased revenue to $6 billion and $522 million in profit. Hasenfratz is a member of the Canadian Business Hall of Fame and in 2014, she was the first woman to be named Canada’s EY Entrepreneur of the Year. In 2018, Hasenfratz was also named Canada’s outstanding CEO of the year. 

Hugh MacKinnon, chairman and CEO of Bennett Jones LLP stated, “The growth of Linamar under Hasenfratz has been important to Canada’s economy: expansion has meant job creation -- from a base of 9,400 in 2002 to over 28,000 in 2018.” According to the Financial Post, Hasenfratz is dedicated to social responsibility, volunteering her time to the Business Council of Canada, Western University and the Women on Boards Advisory Council. Linda Hasenfratz is a role model that young women need to see because it is important to show that women are able to succeed in a variety of different fields and industries.

Subi Ghosh

by Gabrielle Fox

PRWeek

Being a female in any male-dominated industry is a challenge not solely career-wise, but on a personal level as well. Thus, the importance of female connections, mentors, and support systems cannot be overstated. Subi Ghosh is the Vice President of Marketing at Stream Companies and one of the founding members of Women in Automotive. Women in Automotive is an organization that seeks to “empower and develop women in the auto industry. This philosophy benefits both women and dealerships and will help facilitate the training and hiring of more females in dealerships” (Women in Automotive: Who we Are.) WIA hosts yearly conferences for networking purposes as well as workshops in order to assist women in the automotive industry to further develop their skills, thus making them more competitive applicants for promotions, hiring, etc. Subi Ghosh spent years working her way up in the automotive industry when in June of 2014, she and five other industry leaders decided to fill the gap and create their own support system for women in the auto industry. Their organization has continued to grow since its conception, thus demonstrating the importance of women leading women. 

Mandy Dean

by Megan Milam

PRWeek

Mandy Dean was appointed Marketing Director of Ford of Britain in January of 2019. Mandy is responsible for all of Ford’s product and communication marketing within the UK. Before she was appointed Marketing Director, she was the Marketing Communications manager. She has been working with Ford in some capacity since 1995. She began working with Ford while she was completing her undergraduate degree. Mandy replaced Lisa Brankin, who is now the director of sales. One of Ford’s chairmen, Andy Barrat, stated, "I am delighted to announce Mandy’s appointment, she has a wealth of experience and she enters the role at an exciting and challenging time for the UK, Ford’s largest market in Europe." 

Pamela Fletcher

by Dabin Han

Fast Company

Since 2017, Pamela Fletcher is the Vice President of General Motors’ Global Electric Vehicles Programs. She oversaw the process of developing the Chevrolet Bolt EV, the “affordable” long-range car, which won the 2017 North American Car of the Year. Now, she is committed to launching more than 20 all-electric vehicles around the world by 2023.

Before this position, Fletcher was the chief engineer for Electrified Vehicles and New Technologies, leading GM towards a more sustainable future. She was a key figure in the development of the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid, the Chevrolet Spark EV, and Cadillac ELR.