My motoring inspiration: Sally-Anne Hodder

How did your career path bring you to the IMI?

I worked in banking, retail and journalism before coming to the IMI. I actually started as part-time Finance Executive and House Assistant, doing data entry and clearing up after meetings. But I wanted to do more because I enjoyed working for an organisation that was making a difference to people’s careers and lives.

After a few years I applied for the role of Executive Manager, working directly for the CEO. She encouraged me to do a CIPD qualification because she thought I would be good at human resources (HR). As time moved on, I became Head of HR and Business Support, where I was until this year when the Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging role was created.

What skills have you transferred between your different roles?

Having experience in HR means I can use my understanding of policies, performance frameworks, learning and internal engagement to build the foundations of change. What is new is the engagement with automotive businesses, their equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) leads and the Diversity Task Force working groups. These groups are filled with people with lived experiences and they have been crucial in pointing out where we are in danger of getting it wrong. This is key to increasing my own knowledge, and is the most effective way of keeping up with the EDI landscape.

Why is the IMI’s Diversity Task Force so important?

The work has highlighted some of the issues facing automotive and has helped push the conversation up the agenda in businesses and with our members. However, the skills gap and fight for talent isn’t just an automotive problem, it’s an issue in all industries. But if we want to succeed then we need to start working together to make changes. The work of the Task Force has got the momentum going and resulted in a number of key recommendations to help businesses.

Our There’s More To Motor campaign is also helping to change perceptions for those who have perhaps never considered automotive as a career choice. But there is a lot of work to be done in creating widespread change to improve our diversity through better equity and inclusion.

How will you continue to get the message out?

Being part of the senior management team gives me the perfect platform to ensure that EDI is considered in every decision we make. I work closely with our marketing team to ensure that we share knowledge on inclusion and well-being with our members.

We’ve also created an Automotive Diversity Network for company EDI leads to share best practice, challenges and successes so we can learn from each other and spread the message. As my role develops and people become more aware of the Task Force, I get invited to more events, forums and meetings where I’m able to talk about the key issues and how the IMI can help.

How would you describe automotive as a career?

Automotive is one of the most exciting industries to be in, especially during this period of change. The jobs are varied and there is something for everyone. People tend to think our industry is just about manufacturing and repairing vehicles, but if you consider the roles in design, AI, cybersecurity, green initiatives and retail, it demonstrates that the automotive industry is a driver of innovation and economic growth that has a place for everyone.

Be part of the change visit the IMI’s There’s More To Motor campaign site

To feature in our next edition, email james.scoltock@thinkpublishing.co.uk

This is an edited extract from IMI's new MotorPro magazine, received free as part of IMI membership