Electric vehicle pioneer wins Autocar’s Great British Women in the Car Industry – Rising Stars 2019

● Ford’s Emma King, leading the field in EV battery cell sourcing, named overall winner at Great British Women in the Car Industry – Rising Stars 2019
● Top 100 rising female stars in the automotive industry recognised by Autocar at ceremony in London
● Women celebrated across a range of key sectors including manufacturing, sales and marketing
● Newcomers from some of the UK’s leading car makers recognised in Apprentice category
● Full list of Autocar’s 100 Rising Stars here: https://www.autocar.co.uk/greatbritishwomen/2019

Emma King, Ford’s senior purchasing manager at the forefront of the marque’s $11bn investment in EVs, has been named the winner of Autocar’s Great British Women in the Car Industry – Rising Stars 2019 initiative, held in partnership with the SMMT.

King came top of Autocar’s Purchasing category and went on to beat eight other category winners from the list of 100 of the most talented rising stars in the car industry.

Outstanding individuals across categories including marketing, sales, people development and manufacturing are celebrating their respective achievements today at an event held at 30 Euston Square, London.

King started her career as a commercial vehicle buyer for Ford in 2007 and has risen through the ranks to lead the firm’s electric vehicle charge in purchasing and manage a team across the US, the EU and China.

She has been an instrumental part of teams driving key technological changes in the industry. Her most recent role has involved heading up the procurement of global battery cells, coming at a crucial time for Ford as it restructures its business and prepares for the rapid growth in electrified vehicles.

Autocar editor Mark Tisshaw said: “Emma’s impressive rise at Ford is the perfect showcase for everything we are celebrating here today. The car industry is always experimenting, pushing boundaries and looking into new technologies, and Emma’s role perfectly highlights how exciting it is to be part of. The ambition and success of all our top 100 rising stars demonstrate the breadth of exciting career opportunities within modern automotive.”

King said: “The work I do with Ford is a really exciting area to be involved in. Investing heavily in an electric future means our work is at the forefront of the migration to new technologies and services.
“It is a huge privilege to have been chosen as this year’s winner of Autocar’s Great British Women in the Car Industry – Rising Stars, and I would like to convey my sincere thanks to the entire team at Autocar and the SMMT for this honour. I am deeply thankful to have been considered alongside such accomplished and varied female talent and hope that we can, in turn, inspire future generations.”

Chair of the judging panel and managing director of Autocar and Haymarket Automotive, Rachael Prasher, said: “It is always exciting for us to recognise the leading women in our industry, but this year’s event feels particularly special. Not only are we looking at the strength of the UK’s automotive industry at the moment, but we are celebrating the names to look out for, carrying the industry into the future.

“Our list of 100 rising stars is only a snapshot of the great work women are doing to make a name for themselves in the automotive industry, and the essential role that women will continue to have in developing the UK’s automotive landscape in the years to come.”

Run in partnership with the SMMT, Autocar’s Great British Women in the Car Industry – Rising Stars is supported by headline sponsors CDK Global, Nissan and Toyota, and support partners Peugeot and Volkswagen Group.

SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said: “We are delighted to continue to support this fantastic initiative, which rightly celebrates success while working to encourage more women into the industry. There has never been a more exciting time to join the motor sector, with developments in electrification, digitalisation and AI resulting in a seismic shift in innovation.

“With such a widening range of exciting roles, it is more important than ever to attract talent from across all backgrounds, abilities and genders. The calibre of nominees this year was exceptional and once again highlights the women excelling in our sector and the crucial role they play now and in the future. This can only inspire more women to join our industry, helping shape the future mobility of the UK.”

This year’s event features a panel debate with some of the industry’s biggest names chaired by Prasher, along with keynote speeches from Aston Martin’s president of the Americas, Laura Schwab, and Peugeot ambassador and former Fed Cup captain Judy Murray.

You can view the top 100 by visiting https://www.autocar.co.uk/greatbritishwomen/2019. The hashtag for the initiative on social media is #GreatBritishWomen

The full list of category winners is below:
Overall Winner
Emma King, Ford

Sales
Zoe Lawson, Marshall Motor Group

Marketing
Olivia Kaye, Renault UK

PR & Communications
Camilla Scanes, Audi

Purchasing
Emma King, Ford

Operations
Laura Brunker, McLaren Automotive

People Development
Nev Hart, Jardine Motors Group

Manufacturing
Buki Okoro, Ford

Vehicle Development
Hilary Andrew, Aston Martin

Aftersales and Workshop
Charlotte Dafe, Jardine Motors Group

Additional categories
New Mobility and Digital Solutions
Apprentice

ENDS

Notes to Editor

For full information on Autocar’s 2019 Great British Women, please visit https://www.autocar.co.uk/greatbritishwomen/2019

About Autocar

Autocar was founded in 1895 and is the essential news, reviews, entertainment and reference title for car buyers and enthusiasts everywhere.

It specialises in revealing the secrets of new cars, while its famous road tests are used by the industry and consumers alike as the authoritative benchmark.

Autocar’s readers are recognised as the most influential in the UK. The knowledge they glean from the magazine and pass on leads to thousands of car purchases a year.

Autocar has nine editions worldwide, and its fast-growing website means Autocar now has 1.3 million readers a month, viewing 11.4 million pages.

Meanwhile, Autocar’s YouTube channel has become the most authoritative motoring video site in the world, garnering more than 250 million views and over 650,000 subscribers.

To read the latest news and reviews, visit: www.autocar.co.uk

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