DETROIT – With the North American International Auto Show in full swing and a new year upon us, Inforum hosted its 13th annual AutomotiveNEXT Breakfast at the GM Renaissance Center. Professionals supporting the growth of female talent in the auto industry packed the room to hear keynote Werner Struth from Bosch as well as others talk about the need to recruit more women to the industry.
?We are excited to kick off our first event of the year with Werner Struth whose global vantage point on the timely topics of mobility and connectedness will be noteworthy,? said Terry Barclay, President and CEO of Inforum and Inforum Center for Leadership. ?Over the past decade, Inforum?s NAIAS Breakfast has become an anticipated event during one of the most important weeks of the year in southeast Michigan.?
Struth serves as a member of the board of management for Robert Bosch GmbH. He spoke to automotive industry innovation, leadership and shared the excitement of the recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. He talked about the advancements he is sees first hand such as increased car mobile communication and connected appliances. He said innovation is key because it knows no boundaries.
“Innovation is about breaking paradigms and broadening range of experiences,” he said.
After the keynote from Struth, a panel discussed topics ranging from STEM to the importance of mentorship. Michelle Krebs, an award winning auto writer, joined the panel as did Sheryl Connelly who serves as Ford Motor Company?s Futurist. Rounding out this panel was Suzanne Dickerson, who serves as the Director for International Business Development and Marketing at Clemson University?s International Center for Automotive Research.
Inforum?s goal is to accelerate the careers of women and boost the talent recognition programs. This event takes a targeted approach to the women in the automotive industry with speakers and career discussions oriented to the business. However, the message is universal for women in any Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math field. Cultivating a diverse culture impacts the business in a world where women influence most buying decisions. Inforum offers many other programs outside of automotive with the common theme to empower professional women.
There were some high notes of the conversation around the importance of mentoring. After the breakfast, AutomotiveNEXT industry group hosted an event that brings together women, University students, young professionals, and top executives to explore a range of careers in the automotive industry. This features small-group conversations between the students and industry. The best way for the next generation to learn about options is to get exposure to different role models. The purpose is to demonstrate the range of careers in the automotive industry from engineers to accountants, finance, communications, marketing and technology. There are exchanges of practical advice and inspiration between the groups during this networking event.
As auto companies in Michigan set goals for this year, they can remember the key messages from the AutomotiveNEXT breakfast. As one speaker said, it is time to start making the case and make the change to see more women promoted in every industry.
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Associate Editor Nicole Johnson leads MITechNews.Com?s efforts to foster STEM education, as well as provides coverage for her fellow women in computing. If you have a story idea for Nicole, email [email protected] Follow Nicole on Twitter: @tech_nicole
