New event on women in auto rallies industry together
“We’re clearly not doing a good job of recruiting women into the industry. This has hurt our industry and will continue to hurt our industry in the long and short-term.” Maria Soklis, President of Cox Automotive Canada
“I wish we had a dealership full of women but they don’t just drop into your lap and say, ‘Hi, I’m here.’” Susan Gubasta, Dealer Principal, Mississauga Toyota
When it comes to recruiting women into the auto industry, there’s still a long way to go.
That was the central message at the Women & Automotive conference, which took place on April 6, 2016 at the Westin Harbour Castle in Toronto, Ont.
The inaugural conference, presented by Cox Automotive, had over 200 attendees — most of them women — but also a few men.
The jam-packed day-long symposium tackled challenges and the opportunities women face in the auto industry, in areas such as recruiting, retaining female employees and personal branding. Canadian auto dealer’s Petrina Gentile was the emcee for the day.
Maria Soklis, President of Cox Automotive Canada, kicked off the conference with an inspirational keynote that looked at women throughout history and specifically, in automotive.
Attendees also heard from Erin Elofson, head of financial services at Facebook Canada, and the closing keynote speaker, on diversity at her company.
France Daviault, senior director of industry relations for Automotive Industries Association of Canada, shared key results from recent AIA research on perceptions of women in the automotive sector and workplace culture.
There were also panels and workshops made up of top female dealers, recruiters and other influential women in automotive.
The conference wrapped up with a networking reception and fashion show, which featured some of the speakers and presenters modelling business attire on the runway.
