NFDA chief executive joins Automotive 30% Club

NFDA chief executive Sue Robinson has joined the Automotive 30% Club, a voluntary network of MDs and CEOs from UK based automotive sectors.

The organisation sets out to achieve a better gender balance within the automotive industry. It takes its name from its target of at achieving at least 30 per cent of key leadership positions in member organisations with diverse women by 2030.

Robinson commented: “The Automotive 30% Club is undoubtedly shaping a positive path for the automotive industry, an industry which has been historically male-driven and I am proud to be in a position to help drive this change and promote gender balance for the wider sector. That being said, I am also a key advocate in working hard for your success, that key leadership positions will then follow accordingly and that tokenism is not always beneficial for the long-term prospects of a business.

“NFDA has been directly supporting diversity in the Automotive industry since 2018, with the launch of our employment initiative Drive My Career. Drive My Career helps to promote its members’ entry level and apprenticeship opportunities to its target audience of 16-24-year-olds and works hard to shift the narrative and perceptions young people may have of the automotive industry which promotes inclusivity, particularly for women.”

Julia Muir, CEO of Gaia Innovation and founder of the Automotive 30% Club added: “I’m very pleased to welcome Sue Robinson to the Automotive 30% Club. Sue is an influential woman who has operated successfully for many years at the very top of automotive retail, and she is an inspiration to me and many others. It is great that she will join our campaign to make the automotive sector one in which women will be able to thrive as much as men so that we can access diverse talent pools to attract the skilled people we need in today’s highly competitive recruitment markets.

“Sue will also help to reinforce our message that we help our members create long term plans to build inclusive high performing teams at all levels of the business, and we don’t support enforced quotas or token appointments. I shall look forward to working closely with Sue and the NFDA members to do this and combine forces to raise awareness of automotive retailing career opportunities with school students.”