Bhawna Thakur

To be recognised in this way is both affirming and encouraging. It’s a reminder that every conversation, every challenge, and every step forward really does matter.

Bhawna Thakur believes the answers already exist within the community - her work has been about bringing people together to find them.

Operating at the intersection of automotive and technology, Bhawna has built a cross-industry network connecting women across competing organisations. In a single year, she directly impacted more than 500 women through events, webinars, and mentoring - with particular focus on those from ethnically diverse backgrounds. Her 2025 automotive diversity report, globally sourced and evidence-based, has shaped conversations at the highest levels of the industry.

Honest about the personal cost of showing up, Bhawna offers not easy answers but solidarity, evidence, and a genuine belief that progress happens when people work together across boundaries.

What's one thing you wish you'd known earlier in your career?

If I could share one thing I wish I’d known earlier in my career, it would be this: Carrying everything quietly isn’t strength - it just looks like it from the outside. For years, I juggled work, family, caring for my parents, and growing a community, all while keeping the challenges under wraps. I wish I’d known sooner that asking for support doesn’t make you less capable; it makes you human. And the people worth impressing already know that.

Celebrating the women of the automotive industry

Inspiring women to connect and succeed in the automotive industry by dreaming big and reaching goals since International Women’s Day 2016.

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