Meet our 2026 shortlist
Find out more about this year's nominees for the Barbara Cox Award
Maria Whittington
To be recognised for supporting others is an amazing validation of not just what I do but how I do it. It reminds me that we need to keep moving forward to ensure that women know that they are supported and that they understand that the automotive industry is filled with a huge variety of roles within businesses that continue to support them, challenge the status quo, and are packed with opportunities.
Maria Whittington has spent her career at the leading edge of digital transformation - first pioneering fibre broadband technology at Plusnet, then helping to build Dealer Auction from the ground up as one of its founding leadership team.
Over seven years, Maria shaped not just the product and delivery strategy of the business but its culture - bringing three very different organisations together around a shared set of values. During COVID, she introduced the communications and connection rituals that kept the Dealer Auction community together through an uncertain period, ensuring no one felt isolated.
A trained Mental Health First Aider and passionate mentor, Maria is the person colleagues turn to - for honest advice, genuine support, and the kind of directness that comes from someone who genuinely cares.
What advice would you give to women starting their career in automotive?
This is an amazing industry to work in, with a huge amount of talent and one where women are actively supportive of each other. Find a role that enables you to enjoy what you do and gives you the scope to learn more about the breadth of the industry because it’s huge and packed with opportunity.
Most importantly, research the business and its values. If, like Cox and Dealer Auction, those values are truly at the core of the business and they resonate with you, then you will find a business that truly cares about you, your career, and success. You will also be in a business that has like-minded people within its teams. This will ensure that you are supported and your successes are celebrated.
There will be challenges ahead, but rest assured that there will be plenty of people who will support you, and through resilience and hard work, the future is yours.
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.
