VP Data Analytics
automotiveMastermind
What is the proudest accomplishment of your career thus far?
The automotive industry has become far more data-centric in the past two decades. Many have contributed to that increased level of sophistication, and I am proud of the ways my teammates and I have helped to drive the movement forward. Additionally, I’m proud of the relationships built, the talent fostered and the reputation for integrity and credibility I’ve established with some of the best in the business. “Trusted advisor” status is something I highly value, and I am proud to serve in that capacity. I am also extremely grateful for the mentors who have supported me along the way, many of whom are fierce and inspiring women who blazed their own trails. Meriting their investment is an achievement all on its own.
What is your best advice to other women who want to excel in the automotive industry?
- Mind the mental narrative. Write the reality you want, and then live into it until it becomes the reality you have. Rinse and repeat.
- Cultivate resilience because the obstacle really IS the way. Challenge yourself to respond with curiosity instead of fear (and recognize that emotions like anger, blame and self-doubt are all just different flavors of fear).
What are some of the ways you have seen the industry support women?
I was extremely fortunate to be allowed to work remotely long before that was even a topic of discussion for the auto industry. I simply would not have been able to contribute in the same manner without that flexibility and would have instead been forced to choose between career and family/personal life, like so many others have done. I am so grateful to be among those who did not have to make that sacrifice, and I’ve been fortunate in the ability to extend that support to my teams. I have seen acceptance of this concept grow in the more than 10 years between that initial experiment and today — especially in the past 15+ months as we are all being challenged to re-think “normal.”
More recently, I’ve heard of dealerships adopting an online concierge model that enables employees to fully contribute when customers are online (which, coincidently, might be when children are in bed or in school). When executed thoughtfully, shifts like this benefit the customer, the industry and the employee.
What is one thing the industry could do better/differently to support women?
I would encourage leadership to continue finding ways to enable talented individuals to contribute rather than forcing them to the sidelines (or to other industries) with inflexible policies. That choice of personal over professional represents a huge sacrifice not only for the employee, but also the employer — and no one wins in that equation. This is especially important today as women have been forced to leave their jobs in unprecedented numbers over the past year.