Women In Automotive Are Re-Paving The Industry That Has Only 17% Female Employees

Posted on July 28th, 2015 by sheconomy

There is no denying that women are rapidly becoming a force to be reckoned with if you are in the business of selling cars. In fact, there are a lot of businesses who have become more open with employment and recruitment, looking for the best employee by using skills tests and pre-employment assessments (Click here to Learn More) and it seems as if the car industry is no different when it comes to this type of involvement.

Just a few of the reasons could be that women now hold more driver’s licenses than men – 105 million women, compared with 104 million men. They influence 80% of U.S. car purchases and they control more than $13 trillion in personal wealth today. Women buy 65 percent of all new tires, make 65 percent of new car purchases and 45 percent of light trucks and SUV purchases.

Yet, currently, the percentage of female employees in the auto industry remains stagnant at just 17% of all employees.

So, it really should come as no surprise that according to AllCarLeasing.co.uk 75% of women polled say they feel misunderstood by car marketers and only 38% of women feel confident in the car-buying arena according to a recent Kelly Blue Book study.

Enter…. WOMEN IN AUTOMOTIVE

The first-ever, Women in Automotive Conference will be held in Orlando, beginning Tuesday, August 18th, in hopes of paving the way for change.

The three-day conference includes speakers, breakout sessions, workshops and booth displays – all centered on the goal of educating and inspiring women in all areas of the automotive industry.

I met Jody Devere, CEO of AskPatty.com several years ago through Twitter and have witnessed her successes ever since. Her passion began as a desire to provide a valued resource that would empower women to make better decisions when buying and selling their cars, as well as extensive education on how to best maintain them. That quest has evolved into her now being a significant influence within the automotive industry as a whole, and today she is one of six auto-industry female leaders who founded the Women In Automotive Conference.

“This conference will set new standards on how to attract, hire and retain women and develop more women employees and leaders in the automotive industry,” Devere revealed. “Our line-up of 85% women speakers is stellar and not typical in our industry. These are powerhouse women and men who will give voice to topics and solutions rarely discussed at other automotive conferences that are vital to the continued growth of our industry.”

Keynote speaker, Lisa Copeland, has been a pioneer in the field of automotive marketing and management for more than 25 years. She is currently Managing Partner of Fiat of Austin, the top Fiat retailer in North America since the brand’s return.

“The topic of women in the automotive industry hits very close to home for me, because for women, the struggle is real,” Copeland said. “The event’s organizers are women who have been in the automotive industry for many years, and I am honored to be part of this precedent-setting event.”

SO, WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

Female Dealership Employees & Vendors
Network and be inspired as you learn from some of the best and brightest in the automotive industry. Learn and develop your leadership skills and further your career path as you hear real success stories from leading Women in Automotive.

Dealers & Marketing Professionals
Learn how to better market and sell to women, as well as how to create a culture to recruit and retain women as employees.

Essentially, if you are in the automotive industry, you should be there.

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