Stronger together

Motorsports Integration Manager,

General Motors

When it comes to defining the word determined, Monique Holmes-Richardson should be pictured next to it.

This month, we are featuring Hayley O'Grady. In her Q&A, she talks about how her job as a teenager at an Auto One store foreshadowed her career in the automotive industry. 

This month, we are featuring Hayley Conway. In her Q&A, she talks about her early love for Supercars and how that led her to work at the biggest-ever British Grand Prix. 

This month, we are featuring Luisa Pardo. Luisa is a Mechanic in Melbourne. In her Q&A, she talks about her favourite automotive resource. 

This month, we are featuring Vesna Vrankovic. Vesna currently works at Peter Warren Automotive Holdings Limited as the Head of People and Culture. In her Q&A, she talks about  how important it is to have a can do mindset, especially as a single mother.

This month, we are featuring Masika Green.

Masika tells us about her current role as a Service Manager with Tilford Auto Group at the new Cambridge Express Service Centre, her exciting achievements, including winning the Ulysses Apprentice Motorcycle Mechanic of The Year award in 2021 for the Tasmania and Victoria zone.

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Masika also shares the challenges she's faced as a woman in the automotive industry with some advice for fellow women.

This month, we are featuring Nyree Johnson, a small business owner, writer and ambassador for women in business and small business.

Nyree also works as a Workforce Planning Advisor for an electricity distributor and is passionately committed to her family and her community through volunteer activities.

With a dedication to empowering those around her, supporting her community, and promoting diversity and equality, Nyree works to instil and inspire confidence and promote resilience to those around her, in an effort to inspire success now and into the future.

This month we are featuring Managing Director of AA Recycling P/L & Pick-A-Part, Emma McIndoe, as our Member of the Month. Emma has been immersed in the industry her whole life and recently taken over her family’s business. 

With a passion for the industry ingrained in her since childhood, Emma talks fondly of her experiences throughout her career and enjoys educating those around her about gender diversity in the industry. 

This month we welcome Sarah Connell as WinA Member of the Month. Passionate about motorsport and cars from a young age, she took her interest and chased it as a career. When Sarah's dream of becoming a race car driver seemed outside her reach, she decided to find a way to work with cars regardless and in 12 years has progressed from the call centre at BMW Australia, moving across the world for a stint at BMW in Munich, to being a sales person in dealerships, working in marketing and now to her current role as Corporate Sales Manager, Southern Region for Mercedes-Benz Australia.​

As a thriving and inspiring woman in STEM, July Aye’s experience as a Supercar Body Systems Engineer is just the beginning of her ever impressive journey in automotive and engineering.

Currently working in the Aerospace industry in California, July’s passion for the world of automotive continues to grow vocationally, as well as an even stronger passion for supporting the women who pursue it professionally.

As the first VACC division committee to reach equal gender representation, we spoke to BRD Committee Chair, Carly Ruggeri on the achievement, and what it means for the body repair industry.

Falling into the industry in a temporary role after the birth of her second son, Priyani's journey to General Manager of Regional Governance and Strategy at Nissan’s Asia Oceania Regional Headquarters in Bangkok is certainly, a story to inspire.

How COO Jessica Dane led the team at Triple Eight Race Engineering in adapting their efforts during the Covid-19 crisis.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Australia

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Southern Region Sales Coordinator

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Millard Caravans

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Retired Owner

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Hume Bodyworks

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Vehicle Body Refinishing Technician

Owner, Drive Creative

From trainee sales consultant at the number 1 Volkswagen dealership in Melbourne, to the current Victorian, Tasmanian, and South Australian Regional Manager for Gumtree Australia's Motors team, Monique's path and progression in whatever role she puts her mind to is just the tip of her professional success.

This month, we are featuring Natalie Ajay. In her Q&A, she talks about her experience racing with the Monash Motorsport Team, both in Australia and abroad. 

This month, we are featuring Carol Albisser-Bennett. In her Q&A, she shares her journey from being a petrol station attendant to owning her own mechanic workshop.

This month, we are featuring Nancy Alexander. Nancy is a General Sales Manager at Mantello Hyundai. In her Q&A, she talks about her extensive experience in the automotive industry.

This month, we are featuring Shai Copelin.
Shai currently works for the Product Group at TAFE in the automotive section. In her Q&A, she talks about her early experiences in the automotive industry and the challenges she's faced, such as pay inequality.

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This month we are featuring Alex Monahan.

Alex tells us about her current role as the Business Relations Manager for Smart Repair Australia, her career to date and shares some exciting words of encouragement for women in the automotive industry. 

This month we are featuring Ajay Hammer from Aylmore Motors Workshop in Albany, Western Australia. Finding her passion and drive for automotive at 11 years old, Ajay has had a career spanning 12 years across multiple sectors of the automotive industry and has been competitive speedway racing for 17 years.

Coming up to a year in her dream role in the industry, Ajay balances her love for Speedway and champions women in automotive in all areas of her life.

This month we are delighted to feature Automotive Journalist Nadine Armstrong.

With a love of cars and motorbikes her entire life, Nadine had only dreamed about turning her passion into a thriving career.  

With a unique voice and a passion for the Automotive Industry, Nadine forged her career over 15 years ago when she started working for Fairfax Media’s Drive team in Melbourne. Nadine is now one of Australia’s leading Automotive journalists, freelancing for various publications and is the longstanding Consumer Editor for carsales.com.au. 

This Month, WinA is proud to feature automotive franchising researcher and PhD candidate, Adiba Fattah. Currently researching in Queensland, Australia, Moroccan native Adiba’s first taste of the industry came while working as a research assistant at Indiana state University. Adiba’s work was focusing on the impact of Tesla’s historic decision to sell directly to market, gaining immense insight as it was happening.

With a career covering multiple sectors and levels of automotive, and almost 20 years of experience, we are proud to feature Frances Palmer as our first Women in Automotive Member of the Month for 2021. Whether you're wanting to learn more about automotive product design engineering, the farm machinery industry, or her current role in in Brand Management at Bapcor, Frances' feature is not one to miss.

Progressing from admin assistant to national events manager at Mitsubishi Motors Australia is just the beginning of Blaire Race's auto journey - but a mighty beginning at that.

Whether it was owning a panel shop with her husband back in the late 1970’s, or her current role working in a commercial repair shop & also restoration shop, or even her involvement with motor racing from a grassroots level, Jacqui Carroll's life in automotive is more diversified and active than ever!

Featuring a panel of the finest talent currently gracing the Australian Motorsport industry.

Mercedes-Benz Toorak

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Dealer Principal

European Prestige Auto Service

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Director

Melbourne City Holden

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Apprentice Mechanic

Motoring Editor, RACV

From graduating in the top 5% of the state, to qualifying as a heavy vehicle diesel mechanic 7 months early, and now working on her first fiction novel, Ashley Beeby is carving an amazing path as a young woman in automotive.

This month, we are featuring Kristy MacPherson. In her Q&A, she talks about her passion for all things "two and four wheels".

This month, we are featuring Melissa Toffolon.  Melissa is a Mechanic at Mercedes-Benz. In her Q&A, she talks about her passion for drifting. 

This month, we are featuring Menka Michaelides. Menka is a co-owner of Prorepair Auto Care Centre. In her Q&A, she talks about finding inspiration from the 2022 Signature Luncheon event.

This month, we are featuring Kelly Van Blommestein.

Kelly is the Director and Chief Operations Officer of Werribee and Western Automotive Group - Dealer Principal of Werribee MG and Werribee Nissan. She shares with us the steps she's taken to learn the ins-and-outs of the entire business, not just from a management level. 

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This month, we are featuring Reem AL-Smeirat, an inspiring business owner and the first female car designer in the Middle East as awarded by the European Board of Design.

Reem recently launched her own automotive design studio and has been supporting women starting their careers in the automotive industry. 

With a love of automotive and a mission to support and help other women in the automotive field, Reem continues to build a community of passionate women with the aim of helping them follow their dreams. 

This month we are delighted to feature Andrea Mendoza from Surfside Motorcycle Garage – a Royal Enfield Dealership based in Sydney’s Northern Beaches. Starting her career in Auckland 25 years ago, Andrea has been championing women in the automotive industry for many years.

Andrea’s unique voice and passion for the industry has led her to achieve many milestones, such as leading an education-driven automotive business in New Zealand and helping other women who have a passion for motorcycles.​

This month we feature Shelley Jones as WinA Member of the Month. Shelley's candid honesty about how hard it is to be a female mechanic is backed up by her gushing about how rewarding it is if you can tough it out.

From growing up on a dairy farm in West Gippsland, Shelley's love of all things tractors and mowers drew her to complete her Mobile Plant apprenticeship. This led her to working in quite the niche world of small diesel tractors, mowers and pumps. Shelley is now a wellness facilitator for the VACC, travelling around the State visiting workshops and implementing a mental health and wellness program.

A new research report by Gumtree Cars, Connect with the New Digital Car Buyer, digs into the automotive zeitgeist of the year that was. It shows a change in pace, preferences and a shift in power as a new breed of buyers emerge – with an empowered female cohort front and centre.  Women in Automotive talks with Monique Cotton of Gumtree Cars to find out more.

We spoke to Tara about her decision to move back into the automotive industry after briefly exiting the industry to start her own successful event business. Now thriving in her role as Front of House Service Manager at Frankston Toyota, Tara tells us how her goal is to now open doors for other women in the industry, who cannot yet open them for themselves.

Through the support of mentors and a dealership where women currently make up 35% of the workforce, Linzi’s journey from salesperson to full-time New Car Assistant Manager is certainly one to inspire many.

As our first WinA guest contributor, experienced tire industry specialist, Rosette Monell, has detailed the basic essentials needed to ensure you're getting the most our of your car tires, and the things to avoid a short tire lifespan.

Current lifecoach for automotive business owners

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Previous co-owner and operator of Midas Hobart

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D'Alberto Motors, Bellmont Nominees and Centaur Products Australia

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Southern Region Sales Coordinator

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Brighton Panel Works

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Business Manager

Peninsula Volkswagon & Skoda

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Car Care Consultant