Women@SIMI highlights leadership and skills as motor industry evolves

The Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) has highlighted the importance of diversity, skills development and adaptable leadership as the automotive sector responds to electrification, digitalisation and changing customer expectations.

Its 11th Women@SIMI event, held in partnership with Bank of Ireland at the InterContinental in Dublin, brought together 200 professional women from across the Irish motor industry.

The event focused on networking, career development and adapting to change, with discussions covering leadership, communication, resilience, entrepreneurship and emerging technology.

Breda McCague, motivator & transformation specialist, hosted a panel featuring Joanne Somers, managing director at Johnsons Ireland, and Áine Denn, tech entrepreneur and co-founder at Blazer.

Somers discussed the importance of self-belief, recognising personal value and adapting communication styles to individual employees, while Denn highlighted networking and investment in skills.

Denn also encouraged attendees to embrace AI as a means of reducing costs and increasing productivity while retaining the context and expertise provided by people.

Liam Denning, president at SIMI, highlighted the importance of “moving past outdated cultural perceptions, embracing diversity, and supporting career development so that the next generation sees the industry as a viable career path and one where businesses support inclusion. Women@SIMI provides greater visibility of the changes that are happening for the better.”

Karen Kennedy, senior sales and relationship manager at Bank of Ireland Finance, said: “As our industry evolves through electrification, digitalisation and changing customer expectations, the need for diverse thinking, fresh perspectives and strong leadership has never been greater.