The Auto30Club Inspiring Automotive Women Awards of 2025!
An Inspiring Automotive Woman meets many of the following judging criteria:
- helping to promote the company as an employer of choice for women
- creating solutions and policies to help women to thrive in the workplace
- raising awareness of intersectionality and underrepresented female groups
- undertaking schools outreach
- establishing a D&I or women’s network
- mentoring or coaching female colleagues
- being an inspirational female role model or an outstanding trailblazer in a role usually done by men
- inspiring her peers to create an inclusive culture
- driving change to ensure we serve female customers better
All our winners have amazing stories and thoroughly deserve their awards and the recognition. Here’s a short excerpt from the nominations that supported each award winner so that you can learn why they are all so inspirational.
Overall Winner: Catherine Faiers
Catherine Faiers, COO at Auto Trader, was named as the winner of the prestigious Automotive 30% Club IMI Inspiring Automotive Woman of the Year Award of 2025 at the IMI Awards Dinner.
The Winners
Amanda Houssein
Amanda Houssein – Director of Product Portfolio at Enterprise Mobility
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.
Carolyn Bundey
Carolyn Bundey – Senior Manager Strategic Projects at Toyota GB
Carolyn has led and driven the development of a Toyota and Lexus Talent programme, with the specific focus of attracting and retaining more diverse talent. As a result, there has been a 20% increase in females joining the Academy early development career pathways. She established a DE&I Network with both Toyota GB and retailer network participants to develop a framework to increase diversity, in particular supporting females with career progression. This resulted in a 15% increase of females participating in an Emerging Managers programme, and an improvement from 0% to 8% female participation in the Senior Leadership Discovery Programme. She introduced a formal reverse mentoring programme to support and encourage females to provide insight and feedback to senior male leaders in the business. This resulted in an uplift of employee engagement of 5%. She was also instrumental in achieving the impact of The IMI’s More to Motor campaign through Toyota’s involvement and support on social media. We celebrate Carolyn for all she is doing to ensure women thrive in automotive retailing and distribution.
Claire Bell
Claire Bell – Head of Diversity and Inclusion at Lithia UK
Claire implemented and supported the creation of 5 D&I colleague networks, coaching and mentoring the Co-chairs to empower their individual growth as D&I champions in the business, and leaders of their respective networks. She creates meaningful change through demonstrating a deep level of care for people and enabling all to have the opportunity to achieve their potential. As her nominator said “ I’ve never felt so inspired by all the great change that is being embedded throughout the company. From women’s health & menopause webinars, to all the other fabulous work including Pride & LGBTQ+ groups etc. She is so passionate about what she does. She lives & breathes inclusivity! What a woman! She truly inspires me to strive for change to create a better world for all.” We thank Claire for being a catalyst for change and creating an inclusive culture.
Sorry, no picture…
Name: Job Title at Company
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit. Quisque faucibus ex sapien vitae pellentesque sem placerat. In id cursus mi pretium tellus duis convallis. Tempus leo eu aenean sed diam urna tempor. Pulvinar vivamus fringilla lacus nec metus bibendum egestas. Iaculis massa nisl malesuada lacinia integer nunc posuere. Ut hendrerit semper vel class aptent taciti sociosqu. Ad litora torquent per conubia nostra inceptos himenaeos.
Sorry, no picture…
Name: Job Title at Company
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit. Quisque faucibus ex sapien vitae pellentesque sem placerat. In id cursus mi pretium tellus duis convallis. Tempus leo eu aenean sed diam urna tempor. Pulvinar vivamus fringilla lacus nec metus bibendum egestas. Iaculis massa nisl malesuada lacinia integer nunc posuere. Ut hendrerit semper vel class aptent taciti sociosqu. Ad litora torquent per conubia nostra inceptos himenaeos.
Sorry, no picture…
Name: Job Title at Company
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit. Quisque faucibus ex sapien vitae pellentesque sem placerat. In id cursus mi pretium tellus duis convallis. Tempus leo eu aenean sed diam urna tempor. Pulvinar vivamus fringilla lacus nec metus bibendum egestas. Iaculis massa nisl malesuada lacinia integer nunc posuere. Ut hendrerit semper vel class aptent taciti sociosqu. Ad litora torquent per conubia nostra inceptos himenaeos.