From the editor: Women continue to fill prominent automotive executive roles, which is awesome

Probably not several folks would dispute the issue that Cox Automotive has broad of variety of means. Everyone who walked by means of the expo hall at NADA Exhibit 2022 could basically see that with their possess eyes.

As a end result of those resources, we below at Cherokee Media Team obtain multiple messages frequently from the Cox Automotive loved ones whether or not it is the newest figures involving certified pre-owned profits, wholesale charges or credit history availability.

When an additional of all those messages arrived late this 7 days, a part of it promptly caught my notice. The information launch declared that Cox Automotive Retail Options built various essential adjustments to its leadership crew.

And all 5 executives talked about in the announcement had been gals.

To mimic longtime sporting activities broadcaster Tim Brando, “How about that?!”

According to that news release, Cox Automotive Retail Answers president Lori Wittman mentioned between the modifications, Mandi Fang became the new senior vice president of customer functions and Tracy Noonan Fred became the new senior vice president of vendor alternatives. Equally will now report directly to Wittman.

Signing up for Wittman’s crew is Cheryl Miller, who will go on in her role as vice president of loan provider alternatives. Jessica Stafford carries on to report to Wittman in her position as SVP of shopper options but will now guide the merged shopper advertising and marketing ability of Supplier.com, Autotrader, and Kelley Blue Guide within Cox Automotive’s Retail team.

“With these promotions and alignments, Cox Automotive Retail Answers is poised to lead our purchasers confidently into this new period of automotive retailing,” Wittman reported in the news launch. “This management team’s experience, dedication, and enthusiasm will fuel the transformation of the automotive market and travel greater achievement for our customers and associates.”

Absolutely, this new era of automotive retailing includes the technological know-how these 5 gals oversee for Cox Automotive. But it’s also a new era for what it’s like at least at dealerships. In numerous stores, lengthy absent are the stereotypes in the highlight of these vendor commercials from a decade ago the place the ad hook was “Tired of getting badgered?”

In a person of the places, the badger — characterized to be a chauvinistic male salesperson down to the plaid activity coat — quips to the potential purchaser who was female, “there’s the rearview mirror wherever you can put on your make-up!”

Forward-contemplating dealerships and massive firms this kind of as Cox Automotive definitely are not the only field stores lifting women to their perfectly-deserved area in leadership. Celebrating that development is aspect of the rationale why we Cherokee Media Team created some of the awards programs we’ve orchestrated for a lot of years now. They involve Girls in Remarketing, Women in Retail, Women of all ages in Car Finance and new this yr, Women of all ages in Collections and Recoveries.

All the latest honorees will be celebrated through Applied Automobile Week, which commences Nov. 14 in San Diego. Possibly you can make the trip to attractive southern California during the 7 days before Thanksgiving to satisfy them in human being and listen to their tales about how they flourished to their respective positions.

In that most current information release from Cox Automotive, what Wittman said about her government staff rings genuine about a host of ladies in automotive management now.

“These women of all ages have been purposefully selected for their innovative tips and inclusive methods of motivating their teams to realize ambitions, streamline processes and leverage engineering to create a steady, seamless customer experience,” Wittman explained.

Nick Zulovich is senior editor with Cherokee Media Group and can be arrived at at [email protected].