Sponsorship can be a ‘game changer’ for women’s automotive careers

Women and other under-represented groups in the automotive sector could significantly progress their careers by having a sponsor – a senior leader who uses their influence to create opportunities for an individual – yet many lack one, research shows. 

That was the key message from the Deloitte Women at the Wheel webinar ‘Building a successful career through coaching, mentorship and sponsorship’.

Sponsorship could involve championing an individual for a promotion, recommending them for key projects or raising their profile by suggesting them as a speaker at an industry event.

UK respondents to Deloitte’s recent industry study said that sponsorship/mentorship was the main factor that could help women reach leadership positions in the automotive industry.

Sarah Noble, automotive partner and consumer supply chain lead at Deloitte and founder of Women at the Wheel, described sponsorship as “a game changer”, explaining how a sponsor had had a significant impact on her career when he recommended her for a role.

“It’s about helping you get the right opportunities, building your reputation and being an advocate for you,” she said.

Noble explained that a sponsor could also be a mentor - someone who offers support and guidance, based on their experience.

A coach, meanwhile, usually helps with a specific skill or situation that you want to improve or tackle.

Nearly half of women lack a formal mentor or sponsor

Despite the benefits of having a sponsor, mentor or coach for career development, Deloitte’s research found nearly half of respondents had never had a formal mentor or sponsor throughout their careers.

“Most studies have shown that historically men have used the sponsorship journey more,” Noble said.

Respondents to Deloitte’s survey noted a need for mentorship that recognises the unique challenges faced by women of colour, LGBTQ+ individuals, and others with intersectional identities.

Webinar panellist Moyosola Fujamade, contract hire and leasing manager at Renault Group, said that she had learned to be “vocal” and advocate for herself during her automotive career.

She also advised being willing to take on work outside your normal remit to develop new skills.

She held five different roles during almost 10 years at Kia and, with the help of an internal coach, that allowed her to build her skillset and to become a “generalist not a specialist”.

As well as a coach at Kia, Fujamade has benefited from external support from Lollipop mentoring, a dedicated mentoring community for Black women in the marketing and advertising industries.

“I made a conscious decision that I wanted someone that didn't look like me to be my mentor, so I had a middle-class white male as my mentor,” she added. “But a lot of the experiences and conversations that we were able to have were actually really similar.”

“Embedding inclusion in an organisation’s core values spawns a good sponsorship/mentorship/coaching programme,” Emma Loveday, Volkswagen Financial Services 

Webinar panellist Matthew Harriet Randall, head of software development and integration at Aston Martin Lagonda, agreed. “If you look for somebody exactly like you, you potentially don't learn as much.

“Don’t be close-minded about who might be able to help you. They don’t have to be within your organisation or even part of the automotive industry.”

Webinar panellist Emma Loveday, senior fleet consultant at Volkswagen Financial Services (VWFS), added that it is important to be clear about your goals and objectives from the outset.

Open and honest conversations

All of the panellists emphasised the importance of having a rapport with a mentor, coach or sponsor to allow open and honest conversations. Ideally, meetings should be face-to-face - at least initially. However, Loveday benefited from 10 coaching sessions which were all online.

“If face-to-face is difficult but you still want the benefits of a coach or mentor it can still be successful as long as it’s regular,” she said. “You can’t go weeks without engaging with that person.”

The coaching sessions were paid for by Loveday’s previous employer, illustrating one way which organisations can support an employee’s career development.

The panellists agreed that having formal programmes also made it easier for employees who might be worried about approaching senior people within the organisation informally about mentorship.

Loveday also stressed the importance of having the right company culture.

“Embedding inclusion in an organisation’s core values spawns a good sponsorship/mentorship/coaching programme,” she said.

Career development needs to be part of the company’s strategy so that a sponsorship/mentorship/coaching programme is given the right investment and expertise to be successful, she added.