Eleven women at Ford have been recognised as outstanding leaders in their fields by the 2020 Autocar Great Women in the British Car Industry Awards.
Two nominees were also selected as their overall category winners – an outstanding achievement from a pool of hundreds of entrants. Sue Slaughter was chosen as the overall winner of the Operations category, and Josephine Payne as the overall winner of the Manufacturing category.
Susan Krusel, Vice President Communications and Public Affairs, Ford of Europe said: “We are proud to see an unprecedented number of our leading women be recognized for their achievements and the value they bring to evolving the automotive industry. Not only have these women made significant contributions to improving our business, they also are great role models to encourage more women to pursue careers in the automotive field.”
Slaughter, director, Global Material Cost and Supply Base Sustainability, joined Ford in 1987 and rose through the ranks of business planning and logistics before making her mark in purchasing. Slaughter returned to the UK in 2018 having been COO for Ford’s joint venture gearbox maker Gertrag Ford Transmissions.
Payne has recently assumed responsibility as Craiova Vehicle Operations Assistant Plant Manager, overseeing the production of the new Ford Puma and Ford EcoSport vehicles at Ford’s plant in Romania. She joined Ford in 1996, and has overseen projects in Dagenham, Valencia, Mexico, Brazil and India.
In the Executive category, three Ford women were chosen as field leaders: Lisa Brankin, director, Passenger Vehicles and Mandy Dean, director, Commercial Vehicles, both from Ford of Britain, and Cathy O’Callaghan, Controller and CFO Automotive.
Joining Josephine Payne in the Manufacturing category is Wendy Graham, manager, Reset and Redesign. Having joined Ford in 1995, Graham is now in charge of Ford’s drive to deliver a sustainable and successful manufacturing future in Europe.
In the Vehicle Development category, Ford have a further two winners. Sarah Haslam, chief engineer, Engine Engineering, Ford of Europe, and Lisa King, executive director, Global Purchasing Strategy and Operations.
Nominated in the Marketing category is Usha Raghavachari, Lab Director at D-Ford London, Ford’s new Global Human Centered Design organisation. Raghavachari has been tasked with establishing these innovation labs in London, Dunton and Melbourne.
In Operations along with Sue Slaughter, Helen Hoar – manager, Material Cost for Ford’s product development in Europe – has been nominated as an outstanding contributor to the car industry. Hoar has worked extensively across purchasing including the management of purchasing electrified powertrains globally.
In the People Development category, Jane Skerry, executive director, Human Resources, is recognised as an industry leader. Skerry has responsibility for the welfare of more than 9,000 Ford employees across the company’s UK activities and is also the Human Resources lead for the Commercial Vehicle Business in Europe, which has its headquarters in the UK.
SOURCE: Ford
