The changing scene: In their own words
Reprints
Print
Respond
|
Click here to go to our main 100 Leading Women indexI believe women are much more intuitive and are probably by nature better listeners. But overall, I believe a good boss is a good boss regardless of gender.
Bob Cosmai, CEO
Hyundai Motor America
via e-mail
We bring balance. We are a buffer. We probably bring a softer side. We're better communicators. And we have empathy.
Pat Moran, Chairman
JM Family Enterprises
and Southeast Toyota Distributors
People are people. Overall individual personalities and leadership styles are the differentiator, not gender.
Peter Butterfield, CEO
Kia Motors America
via e-mail
A female boss tends to multitask better. Women develop this skill early in adulthood to meet demands outside of the workplace.
Deborah Henderson
Vice president, quality, engineering and technology, light vehicle systems
ArvinMeritor
A female boss intuitively understands relationship issues and deals with them more effectively, both internally with employees and externally with customers and other constituencies. A female boss also values the work-life balance differently than men.
Neil De Koker, President
Original Equipment Suppliers Association
via e-mail
When will the first woman become head of an automaker?
Women are running other major corporations in this country, serving as senators, leading other countries. I would hope we'll see a woman running an automaker soon, and there are several women in the industry who appear on track to do it.
Dean Eisner, CEO
Manheim
via e-mail
Probably five, five-plus years.
A lot depends on the current leadership of the automakers. . . .
The recovery of Detroit will set the pace.
Steve Sturm, Vice president,
North America planning
Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A.
via e-mail
Within my career timeline? I'm 45.
I don't think so.
Nancy Gioia, Director, current model vehicle quality, North America
Ford Motor Co.
I think it's possible. I don't think the system is nearly as closed to it as it had been in the past. I do think it's going to take time. You have to be absolutely sure that you get the right kind of assignments to ensure that you know how to operate with different perspectives in different situations. I'd say it's doable within a decade. We've been absent from significant jobs in the industry for so long.
Deborah Coleman
Vice president, global quality
Ford Motor Co.
There are women who have the right level of experience today who could step into the position. It's not for lack of capable candidates.
Anne Belec, CEO
Volvo Cars of North America
We are still in a highly male-dominated environment. When you look at the number of high-ranking folks, they still tend to be men. I don't see it in the near term or in my career, frankly.
Grace Lieblein
Vehicle chief engineer, front-wheel-drive truck products, product development
General Motors
Does the glass ceiling still exist?
For women who are entering the business, it doesn't exist. Your performance, your skills, your whole toolbox will get you to where the sky is the limit. Women entering the business will not have to fight the fights that someone of my vintage did.
Sandra Bouckley
Plant manager, Chrysler group
What does that mean? (Then, after hearing an explanation of the term:) No. I didn't even know what that was. I've never heard that word.
Elena Ford,
Director of North America product marketing, planning and strategy
Ford Motor Co.
Oh, definitely. Women still have to work harder and be better.
Dian Ogilvie, Senior vice president
and general counsel
Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A.
When you look at the list five years ago and now, you will see a lot more senior women, and that is a sign of the progress made.
Kathleen Ligocki, CEO
Tower Automotive
Glass ceiling? You could call it that. But I just call it an outdated corporate system. Is it glass? I don't know. I'm not done banging my head. I don't have a fractured skull yet.
Anne Stevens
Group vice president Canada,
Mexico and South America
Ford Motor Co.
I think it depends on how you define glass ceiling. This whole idea - if you don't sit in the top chair, there's somehow a glass ceiling. There are a lot of talented women sitting at the top of their chosen profession. We need more of it. We need it faster. The generation behind us has massive talent. If the auto industry wants to compete for that talent, we have to show visible evidence of a lot of women in top positions.
Karen Healy
Vice president, corporate affairs, marketing communications and facilities
Delphi Corp.
I don't believe it does. It comes down to personal choices, what men or women are able to sacrifice for the job. Sometimes that takes tremendous personal commitment.
Pamela Mader
Plant manager, Moraine Assembly
General Motors
Today when you look at mid to lower executive ranks, we have a really good balance of women executives. It's at the higher-level ranks - we have a number of executives, but they are not where we need to be. … It takes time in the pipeline for people to come up, and if you had a lot of women who didn't really specialize in areas like engineering or other areas like that, it takes time for them to get to that top. A lot of women now have gone into engineering, and that's why you are seeing the lower to mid executive ranks being populated pretty well with women today. So I think it's just a matter of time.
Sue Unger, Senior vice president
and chief information officer
DaimlerChrysler AG
