The Winners

Amanda is viewed as an inspirational female role model and figurehead within Enterprise Mobility. She started on the Graduate Management Trainee program working in rental branches, then sales, and she established the Implementation / Customer Success team across Europe before taking up her current position. She has inspired many women to move into traditionally male-dominated roles, helping them to not only be visibly represented, but also to build a more gender-balanced business. She established and became the Chair of the Enterprising Women Network and helped to organise the ‘In Pursuit’ diversity and inclusion event with over 250 customers, vendors, and partners, that focused on working together across different organisations to learn from each other and build more inclusive cultures for employees. She spearheaded an internal mentoring programme, and mentors women both within and beyond Enterprise. She has brought inclusion and diversity to the top of the agenda of every team she has led, aiming for 50-50 female-to-male representation and helping to develop people from minority backgrounds. We thank Amanda for all her hard work building gender-balanced inclusive teams.

Jenna’s trailblazing leadership inspires others and challenges outdated norms. By moving from Office Manager to General Manager, she proved that women excel in operational areas of the truck bodies industry. She co-chairs the Gender Diversity Working Group, leading to improvements such as flexible working hours and enhanced parental leave. She has moved the team to a 4-day working week with no reduction in productivity or output. She visits schools to inspire young people to consider careers in the sector and has developed tailored workplace visits for students. She implemented a mentorship programme that pairs experienced employees with newcomers, helping female colleagues gain confidence, refine skills, and establish career goals. She ensures that intersectionality is a core focus of the Gender Diversity Working Group ensuring the workplace is inclusive and equitable. One of her male team members wrote: “I am currently in the middle of a mental health crisis, and I can honestly say I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for her. If anybody deserves an award for inspirational woman of the year, then it is her”. We celebrate Jenna for her inspirational and transformational inclusive leadership.

Karen has created a more diverse and inclusive culture across the business and developed a strategic approach to attracting a more diverse set of candidates into Solus Accident Repair Countershaft consulting with employees who are parents, she partnered with the school careers information platform Unifrog, to showcase repair sector careers, and has implemented a work experience programme. She developed a ‘Supporting our Working Carers’ policy, and created a Carer Hub, and Solus has invested in a partnership with Carers UK to become members of Employers for Carers.  Whilst this is available to employees, the greatest positive impact has been on the female population. She is active on social media and has spoken at external events including Women in Science and Engineering, taking great pride in dispelling the myths about the automotive repair industry. She has changed the culture and mindsets about the capabilities of women and their suitability for a traditionally male environment.  Simply asking technicians, “Would you let your daughter work here?” elicits their support for what needs to change. We are pleased to recognise Karen for being such an impactful changemaker.

Louise dedicates her time and energy to visiting schools and colleges, sharing her enthusiasm for the automotive industry and showing students that it is a place for everyone. Her presentations inspire students to seek automotive careers, and she uses her LinkedIn presence to help to place some into apprenticeships and further learning. Her commitment to empowering the next generation reflects her genuine passion for supporting young people and the industry. She has an active presence on social media, serving as an influential female voice in automotive. She shares approachable, bite-sized educational videos that make the industry accessible to all. This amazing woman is a trailblazer, embodying what it means to break biases as a female mechanic, and her business is dedicated to creating a comfortable and welcoming experience for women seeking car services. She is a mentor to a diverse group of women across the sector, providing guidance and support to help them gain a deeper understanding of the field and discover the numerous opportunities available to them. We are pleased to recognise Louise for all she does to ensure female employees and customers feel safe, understood and valued.

Nicola is a driving force behind many of the policies at Steer Automotive Group that have made a significant difference to workplace culture, particularly for female employees. She has introduced key initiatives such as management training to support the new Worker Protection Act, a whistleblowing policy, respect at work policy, and policies addressing menopause and family leave. This woman has been a trailblazer in promoting Steer and the automotive industry as an empowering and inclusive space for women. Her proactive approach to championing diversity is evident in her consistent celebration of female achievements within the organisation. From highlighting the successes of female employees, to passionately supporting apprentices recognised by external platforms like BodyShop Magazine, she shines a spotlight on the talent and potential of women in the industry. The positive practices and initiatives she has championed has led to a doubling of the number of female apprentices year on year. We are pleased to recognise Nicola for all she does to ensure women can fulfil their potential within the accident repair sector.