The UK arm of management and IT consultancy MHP has joined the Automotive 30% Club. As a member of the gender-balance initiative, the firm will contribute to the drive for more women in automotive industry.
The UK has taken various initiatives to improve the outlook for women at director level, and the UK Financial Reporting Council has for instance published a corporate governance code that requires diversity reporting, while in addition Lord Davis ran an independent enquiry into current conditions for gender equality in businesses.
Further efforts include Club 30%, which aims to bring board representation in the UK up to 30%. Even so, gender diversity and inclusion remains a distant prospect for many major companies
The automotive sector in particular remains a male-dominated industry. In order to challenge this, Julia Muir, CEO of social enterprise Gaia Innovation, founded the Automotive 30% Club.
The voluntary network of leaders across UK based automotive manufacturing, retailing and supplier companies aims to achieve a better gender balance within the automotive industry, and with the aim of filling at least 30% of key leadership positions in the member organisations with diverse women by 2030 through a “30 by 30” strategy.
Membership is growing, indicating support for the goal across the industry’s top table. Members include the leaders of automotive companies including Marshall Motor Group, Toyota, Jardine Motors Group, Auto Trader, Volvo, Volkswagen Group, Kia Motors, Mazda, Ducati, Mercedes-Benz, and many more firms throughout the industry.
The latest member of Automotive 30% Club is advisory firm MHP Consulting. A branch of German headquartered management and IT consultancy MHP – which is itself a subsidiary of famous motor-brand Porsche – the firm assists companies in the automotive industry with the process of digital transformation.
Commenting on the firm’s arrival in her network, Muir said, “It is a very sound strategic move that MHP are building the foundations for inclusion. The company is on a growth trajectory and will need to attract the best talent, so it’s essential that such expansion is accompanied by inclusive leadership, culture and working practices to recruit and retain high performing diverse women and men.”
Worldwide, MHP has more than 3,000 employees, serving and supporting over 300 customers. As a technology and business partner, MHP digitises its customers’ processes and products and supports them in their digital transformation along the entire value chain. A digitalisation pioneer in the mobility and manufacturing sectors, MHP serves a wide range of industries, with automotive one of its core focus areas.
Guy Williamson, CEO at MHP UK, said, “We at MHP have significant growth plans and I want to make sure that we grow in the best possible way. This includes looking deeply at all facets of diversity and inclusion and implementing ways of working which support this ambition. The Automotive 30% Club offers the perfect framework for doing so, because it encourages exchange of experience and provides inspiration.”
