For more than 15 years, Automotive News has closely monitored the progress women have made in the auto industry.
In 2000, when we put together our first list of 100 Leading Women in the North American Auto Industry, we had a difficult time finding women in authority. But times have changed. This year, in assembling our fourth list, we struggled to choose among hundreds of powerful female executives.
The candidates were evaluated by a team of Automotive News editors and reporters and Terry Barclay, CEO of Inforum; Michelle Drew Rodriguez, Center for Automotive Insights leader at Deloitte; and Nancy Rae, who was on the list the first three times as head of Chrysler human resources and is now retired.
The selection committee looked for influential women who make major decisions. We considered the size and importance of the candidate's business; the health and direction of the business; and the arc of her career. We favored women in key product-development and manufacturing jobs. We selected executives from 54 companies.
The list is a tremendously strong roster of talented, powerful women. They are at the forefront of thousands of successful female executives in the auto industry.
Their accomplishments are exemplary, and it is with great pride that we celebrate their success.
