Linda Hasenfratz, CEO of Linamar Corp., wanted to add female managers to increase diversity at the powertrain supplier.
The surprise came when she examined the number of women available for management positions.
"There's just so few women in our company to begin with," she said. "It doesn't come naturally, even at my company -- and I'm the CEO."
Fewer than 20 percent of Linamar's 11,000 employees are women, including 15 to 18 percent of its management, Hasenfratz said last week at a roundtable of leading women in the auto industry.
Coverage of the roundtable will appear in Automotive News on Sept. 13 as part of a special section, "100 Leading Women in the North American Auto Industry," created through a partnership with Deloitte.
On Sept. 21, Automotive News will host a reception honoring the leading women at the Max M. Fisher Music Center in Detroit. For information about the special section or the event, contact Rick Greer at [email protected] or 313-446-6050.
