Hosted by Customer Insight and Strategy Director James Davis, episode four of the Fuel/talk podcast discussion focuses on the Women with Drive network, Barbara Cox Award, and ongoing programme of events. Speaking on the eve of National Inclusion Week 2020 (28 Sep to 4 Oct), Cox Automotive’s Liam Quegan shared an overview of the importance of diversity and inclusion to the organisation and why he is proud to be Board Sponsor for Women with Drive.
Set up in 2016, Women with Drive exists to celebrate the work of women in the automotive industry. Initially a Cox Automotive initiative, established by Chief People Officer Alison Fisher, the network has since grown to embrace and empower women and men across the sector to celebrate achievements, champion equality, reach potential and challenge inequality. Quegan took up the role of Board Sponsor in March 2020, explaining “this has been a fairly male-dominated industry, but we’ve taken great strides in promoting different things that matter in the gender equality agenda.”
Over the past four years, the Women with Drive network has hosted seminars, conferences, and guest speakers on topics as diverse as confidence, career journeys, networking skills, personal branding, work-life balance, and more. In 2019, the inaugural Barbara Cox Awards took place, recognising Beryl Carney from JCT600 for her contribution to the sector. In March 2020, Alison Jones of Groupe PSA was announced as the second winner, acknowledged as an inspirational leader and ambassador for the industry.
The Barbara Cox Award is named for the business pioneer who served as Director of Cox Enterprises, Cox Automotive’s parent company in the USA. Quegan confirms that the third edition of the awards will take place in 2021: “Once we get into the new year, we will be looking for nominations from across the industry for women who do great work and make things happen within the industry.” While it is clear the Barbara Cox Awards reach outside of the Cox Automotive family, Quegan is keen to point out that Women with Drive events are open to participants, industry wide.
Most recently, Women with Drive hosted a virtual panel event as part of National Inclusion Week 2020, in which speakers discussed the inclusion agenda as well as the impact of COVID-19. Panellists included Leanne Christmas, Director of Compliance at BMW Financial Services; Jessica Geutner, Vice President Strategic Customers at Salesforces; and Sam Watkins, Commercial Director at Manheim Vehicle Services.
Speaking in advance of the event, Quegan commented how excited he was to have representation from across financial services, technology, and the motor industry: “What we’re trying to do now is create online events that really allow people to think – we’ve got more than 100 people who will be joining the discussion.” Quegan also suggests that, although digital events provide significant benefits when it comes to reach and accessibility, he’s also looking forward to adding face-to-face events back into the mix: “You know, it saddens me the last physical Women with Drive event was back in March, just before the COVID-19 lockdown. We definitely want to get back in a room together at some point!”
Upcoming events for the Women with Drive network include discussions around International Men’s Day in November, as well as potentially expanding the conversation to embrace the wider diversity and inclusion agenda beyond gender equality. Quegan is passionate about keeping discussion about inclusion present and current: “It is super important for us as a business.” He argues it is not about being altruistic, but “there is a human need to embrace and listen to each other.” He also highlights the business benefits for the sector – more innovation, better engagement, and a culture that everyone responds to.
Going on to explain the legacy he’d like to have from his stewardship of Women with Drive, Quegan comments: “When I eventually hand this on to the next person, I’d like to know we’ve kept the discussion very present and current; that we’ve improved the feeling of people around how we think about gender equality; and that we have taken steps forward in terms of other aspects of inclusion and diversity.”
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To sign up to the Women with Drive newsletter and updates on future events, visit the website.
You can also join the discussion on LinkedIn.
To watch the full interview, click here or listen via Spotify or Apple Podcasts (search for Cox Automotive).