Education: B.S., Mechanical Engineering, GMI Engineering and Management Institute; M.B.A, Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration

First automotive job: Product Planner, GMC Truck

On being successful: "I've been fortunate enough to have two very big career highlights: Leading the marketing team responsible for reinvigorating the Volkswagen brand with a clear vision and brand identity in the United States and Canada, and launching the New Beetle in 1998." On being successful: "It's all about being passionate and loving what you do, how you do it and the people you do it with. For these reasons, the Volkswagen brand has been a marketer's dream to work on and build."

On being a woman in the industry: "I think performance - not gender - is the key to success in any industry. Paving new ground, being assertive, not letting obstacles thwart great work and believing so passionately in your ideas that they 'can't say no' are all part of the success formula that the entire VW team and agencies share."

Career highlights:

Positions at General Motors include:

• 1996 Pontiac-GMC Relationship Marketing Manager
• 1995 Assistant Brand Manager, Pontiac Sunfire
• 1995 Global Task Team Member
• 1993-95 Strategic Marketing Initiatives Manager
• 1982-93 Planning and Research, various positions