The Auto Industry Was a Boys Club. These Women Helped Change That and the Work Isn't Done.

In 2002, Michele Pierog wasn't allowed to sell cars in the lanes at a local auto auction.

Not because she wasn't qualified. Not because she didn't know the product. But because she was a woman and women, at that auction, were expected to handle administrative work and stay out of the lanes where the real sales happened.

Michele and a female colleague pushed back. They demonstrated, through results, that they could sell as well as and often better than their male counterparts.

That story, which Pierog shared in this episode of the Driving Mobility podcast, captures both how far the auto industry has come and how much further it still needs to go.

Where the Industry Was

The auto sector's reputation as a male-dominated space is well-earned. Historically, it was designed around male workers, male buyers, and male leadership. The culture, the language, the networks, the informal pathways to advancement all of it assumed a male default.

Women who entered the industry did so on those terms. They had to prove themselves more thoroughly, navigate cultures that weren't built for them, and often advance despite the system rather than because of it.

That's not ancient history. The lanes story is from 2002. Many of the women leading the industry today built their careers in environments that actively discouraged their participation.

Where the Industry Is Now

There has been real progress. Women are increasingly represented not just in administrative and support roles but in sales, operations, technology, and the C-suite. The conversation has shifted from "can women work in automotive?" to "how do we make automotive work for women?"

Kristin Slanina, CIO at ParkMyFleet, and Marguerite Watanabe, President of Connections Insights, joined Pierog in this episode to discuss exactly that shift and what it has taken to move the needle.

What emerges from their conversation is that progress has been driven less by organic culture change and more by the deliberate, persistent efforts of women who refused to accept the status quo. Mentorship programs. Advocacy within organizations. Public acknowledgment of the problem. And, critically, women in leadership roles who actively use their position to open doors for those behind them.

The C-Suite as a Lever

One of the most important dynamics in the discussion is the role of executive representation. When women are present at the highest levels of an organization in the decisions about hiring, promotion, culture, and strategy the environment changes.

Not because women automatically advocate for other women (though many do), but because representation changes what's visible. The range of acceptable behaviors, communication styles, and career paths expands. What "leadership looks like" becomes broader.

For the auto industry, this means that every woman who reaches a C-suite role, an advisory board seat, or a senior operational position matters not just for what she accomplishes individually, but for what her presence signals about who belongs.

What Still Needs to Change

Progress acknowledged is not progress completed. The industry remains male-dominated by most measures. Women are underrepresented in technology and engineering roles. Pay equity gaps persist. And the informal networks the relationships built at conferences, at industry events, in the lanes still skew heavily male.

The women in this episode are clear-eyed about that reality. The goal isn't to celebrate how far things have come while ignoring how far they still need to go. The goal is to be honest about both because honest assessment is what drives action.

Specific changes that still matter: - More intentional mentorship and sponsorship programs for women entering the industry - Pay equity audits and transparent advancement criteria - Industry events and networks designed with diverse participation in mind - Leadership pipelines that actively identify and develop women for senior roles

A Note on the Broader Conversation

This episode of Driving Mobility is part of a longer conversation the industry is having about who gets to participate in the future of mobility. As the sector undergoes its most significant transformation in a century electrification, autonomy, software, new business models the question of who is building that future matters enormously.

The companies and leaders who will shape mobility for the next generation should reflect the full range of people who drive, work, and live in the world those vehicles will serve.

That's not a nice-to-have. It's a strategic imperative.

Listen to the full episode of the Driving Mobility podcast to hear Michele Pierog, Kristin Slanina, and Marguerite Watanabe's conversation about what it took to change the auto industry and what it will take to finish the job.

Driving Mobility is ParkMyFleet's podcast covering the trends, technologies, and leaders shaping the future of mobility.