Women set to take lead in emerging tech

As technology gains revolutionize how vehicles look and work, those strides also are poised to expand women's place in the auto industry.

Female leaders will be crucial to the industry's evolution as gas-powered engines make way for electric vehicles and as car buyers increasingly expect vehicles to provide safety, entertainment and connectivity, several of Automotive News' 100 Leading Women contend. This coming shift dovetails with greater awareness on the part of automakers, parts suppliers and other automotive companies of how a more diverse work force — including on leadership teams — can benefit their businesses.

"We're at a true point of renaissance about the possibilities and the transformation that's about to happen," said Deborah Wahl, chief marketing officer for General Motors. "This is probably the most innovative period that I've seen in my whole career. The change in how we do work, how people think about doing work, how we look at transformation to me has been the most compelling."

As the auto industry and the technology that drives it changes, many industry leaders say women hold the keys to success. Leading technology is no longer primarily focused on sheet metal and horsepower — fields that have been heavily dominated by men.

Instead, differentiating technology going forward is more apt to be focused on the customer in fields such as user experience and human-centered design. And women are playing a more active role in those emerging fields.

In decades past, mentions of the auto industry would conjure up images of powertrains, racing and an overall thrilling drive experience.

While those factors are still relevant today, the user experience has become more important to consumers, said Carla Bailo, CEO at the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Mich.

While women have succeeded in the male-dominated world of sheet metal, career options broaden when automakers consider the human aspects of operating a vehicle. "The automakers are realizing that we need to make a car that is suitable and usable for all," Bailo said.

Many of this year's Leading Women honorees have seen this trend play out during their careers.

Mamatha Chamarthi, chief information officer for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles North America, said when she worked in information technology for the automaker in the late 1990s, IT — and technology in general — was seen as a "back-office function." That's no longer the case.

It is now a "front-and-center and differentiating part of the product," said Chamarthi, a Leading Women honoree who considers that shift to be "the biggest transformational change in the auto industry."

For instance, a whopping 40 percent of customers today will leave a vehicle brand, she said, because it doesn't meet their connected-services needs.

When Bailo joined the industry more than three decades ago, automakers often dismissed customer feedback, she said. They figured they were the experts and customers didn't know what they were talking about. That thought process has changed drastically, she added.

Research shows that female leaders connect with the outside world slightly more than men, said Cheri Alexander, professor of faculty management and organizations at the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business and a former GM executive.

Women tend to be effective listeners and observers and can translate their findings into product features, she said.

"When you are trying to gather information from customers, their wants and desires, you have to really listen and be able to convert what you hear into things that will delight the customer," Alexander said. "The many roles women play in their lives — professional, mom, partner, chauffeur and caregiver — help them to understand what is needed in the interior of cars."

Lisa Drake, Ford Motor Co.'s North America COO, said such abilities position women well for roles in human-centered design and user experience.

"The product design process and the focus on how we deliver cars and the experience to our customers is changing, and I actually think it's going to play well into the leadership skills and the traits that women naturally can bring to the table," Drake said. "The past probably wasn't perfect for us, but I think the future holds a lot of opportunity."

Although the industry has become more welcoming, women aren't necessarily rushing to automotive careers as many had hoped.

Ford, for example, hasn't significantly increased its female employee count or the number of women promoted in recent years, said Niambi Powell, diversity and inclusion specialist for the automaker.

"Like many other companies in the industry, one of the underlying issues that continue to hamper the auto industry is that some women perceive the industry as predominately male," said Powell, who has a doctorate in industrial and organizational psychology. But in general, she added, women are advancing more progressively in automotive technology and mobility fields than in manufacturing.

Kerri Wise, vice president of communications at TrueCar, says automotive opportunities are often hidden. Many women didn't have big dreams of being part of the industry when they were young.But "this is a people business. And as women, we are absolutely relational in terms of our nature," Wise said. "We understand people, and if anything, we can give the industry a perspective on half of the customers, at least, that are women."

As women gain top roles in the industry, more inclusive initiatives are likely to follow.

Women are slightly more inclined to be transformational leaders, according to an American Psychological Association analysis of research. They often act as role models, motivate their teams and help employees refine their skills.

Many of the women on Automotive News' 2020 list of 100 Leading Women in the North American Auto Industry said they prioritize diversity on their teams — not only of gender or race but also of thought and background.

Listening and inclusion is especially crucial in today's environment, with a transforming industry, the coronavirus pandemic and social unrest, said Janet Barnard, chief people officer at Cox Automotive.

"The problems have become so complex that I'm finding that I have to do a lot more listening and learning," Barnard said. "Inclusive leadership is really important, all the way down to details. Like when you have a team off-site and you want to do an activity, golf is probably not the ideal thing because not everybody plays golf, but that's a very institutionalized part of business."

Teams come to the best decisions when everyone's ideas are heard, regardless of title, said Stacy Lynett, CIO of global product development and quality at GM.

"Some of the things that we're doing are new and leading edge, so nobody has the experience to bring to the table," Lynett said. "It's important to make sure that we're creating an environment that's safe for everybody to bring ideas forward."

Suzana Cizmic, commercial plant manager at Bosch, said a diverse team — with ideas coming from more than the extroverts — generates the best ideas. "Otherwise, you will be blindsided all the time," Cizmic said. "I like the moment when everybody starts talking and giving ideas and it's like a fireball."

Many girls thinking about future careers don't realize the broad scope of the auto industry, Bailo said. So she makes a point to tell them their clothing and everything in the room around them "had an engineer's hand in it."

"Their eyes get wide open," she said. "They start to see that tech is in everything. We have to continue to talk about that."

Lynett stresses the importance of sharing opportunities early in order to attract more women.

There is a stigma that the industry revolves only around the mechanics of vehicles, "as opposed to the beauty of it, which is a customer experience, the elegance of an infotainment system, the challenges of mobile apps to connect to it, the beauty of a design of a vehicle," she said. "That's much more than just your typical oil change."

The work can lead to problem-solving that helps society, said Pamela Fletcher, GM'S vice president of global innovation. She likened the automaker's innovation sector to a startup within the broader company with limited benchmarks to follow. It means her team often plots its own path.

"We have to work quickly to develop new products," Fletcher said. "We start with a lot of customer empathy, minimum viable products, testing and learning, pivoting when we need to, taking a lot of risk. I, and the team, work hard every day to really navigate some uncharted waters."

Despite growing opportunity and companies' increasing inclusion, women are still the minority when it comes to leadership roles, said Vickie Piner, Lear Corp. global vice president of quality, e-systems.

"There are some great leaders getting seats at the table, but if you really want to see major — not evolutionary, but revolutionary — change in truly collecting the ideas that exist in the world, then companies are going to have to do revolutionary things to give women seats at the table," Piner said. "It is way better today than it was 37 years ago, but it shouldn't take another 37 years."

More women executives have the academic credentials and are seeking leadership roles in this automotive transition, said Maryann Keller, automotive industry analyst and principal at Maryann Keller & Associates.

"Have they reached the highest levels of their corporation? Apart from [GM CEO] Mary Barra, the answer is no," Keller said.

Still, with the pivotal transformation happening — more electrification, new technology and enhanced user experiences — the industry is on the cusp of major change for women, said Kimberley Gardiner, chief marketing officer for Mitsubishi Motors North America.

"All the keys to success that were there for decades — they're brand-new keys going forward," Gardiner said. "Women should be holding those keys, figuratively and literally, because we represent a hope for change, a hope for transformation."

Lindsay VanHulle, Alexa St. John and Vince Bond Jr. contributed to this report.