IMI becomes Partner Sponsor of Automotive 30% Club

New commitment extends professional body’s Patronage with clear focus on empowering automotive businesses to increase gender diversity

Confirming its ongoing commitment to increasing diversity in the automotive sector, the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) has become the key sponsor of the Automotive 30% Club for 2023/24. The new sponsorship supports the Club’s strategic shift to creating forums for showcasing and sharing best practice within its member companies, as well as scaling up its membership.

Lesley Woolley, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the IMI and Lead of its Diversity Task Force, became a Patron of the Automotive 30% Club in 2023. The new Partner Sponsorship takes the IMI’s commitment to a new level to support the Club and the automotive sector in achieving its female representation goals.

Founded in 2016 with the purpose of encouraging inclusive leadership and achieving a better gender balance within the industry, the Automotive 30% Club is a voluntary network of MDs and CEOs from UK based automotive manufacturing, retailing and supplier companies. Its goal is to fill at least 30% of key leadership positions in the member organisations with diverse women by 2030 through its “30 by 30” strategy.

Central to the new IMI sponsorship is the next Automotive 30% Club’s annual conference, scheduled to take place on the 16^th of May. The winner of the 2024 Inspiring Automotive Woman of the Year Award – launched by the Automotive 30% Club to recognise and celebrate the shining stars of the automotive industry irrespective of role or seniority - will be unveiled for the first time at the IMI’s own Annual Dinner in March 2024.

“The skills gap faced by the automotive sector has been intensified by a crisis in recruiting and retaining a skilled workforce,” said Lesley Woolley, COO of the IMI and a 2022 Automotive 30% Club Inspiring Automotive Women award winner. “And the current and historical lack of diversity has undoubtedly contributed to the challenges.

“To overcome these issues, both the IMI and the 30% Club believe it is crucial to spotlight progress, facilitate debate and deliver the tools that will drive greater inclusivity. Intuitively it is the right thing to do, and we believe our combined resources will go a long way to educate, inform and rally the support of as many organisations as possible to enact change as quickly as possible.”

Julia Muir, founder of the Automotive 30% Club added: I am delighted that The IMI is our new Partner Sponsor and is actively championing gender balance in the automotive industry. Following the fantastic work of their Diversity Task Force, The IMI has become a driving force for all forms of EDI across the sector, and so are the perfect strategic partner for the Club. Lesley Woolley is an amazing advocate and ambassador for increasing female representation and is a valued Patron of the Club. I look forward to collaborating further with Lesley and The IMI team to accelerate progress, so more automotive businesses reap the benefits of building high performing gender-balanced teams.