Volvo Car UK and the UK Automotive 30% Club are pleased to be able to mark International Women's Day by announcing Volvo's new membership of the club.
The club leads a collaborative campaign to achieve a better gender balance within the automotive industry, with the aim of filling at least 30% of key leadership positions throughout the member organisations with women by 2030, through a '30 by 30' strategy. The club members strongly believe that more diversity and inclusion leads to a better customer experience and stronger business performance, and see the 30% as a target to measure progress against rather than a quota.
The UK Automotive 30% Club is open to CEOs and MDs of companies in the automotive industry such as manufacturers, retailers and the adjacent businesses.
Jon Wakefield, Managing Director of Volvo Car UK, has underlined his support of creating an inclusive environment in which all people can thrive as a business imperative. He said: "I am delighted to join the UK Automotive 30% Club, and emphasise my commitment to closing the gender gap and creating an inclusive culture here at Volvo Car UK.
"The move to partner with a cause championing better opportunities for women is a natural progression for us. Above all, Volvo is a human-centric brand – and we recognise the individual's abilities and understand that diversity strengthens us. These are key factors that allow us to become more responsive to customer needs and to strengthen our market position.
"By joining the UK Automotive 30% Club, we look forward to helping attain the best employment outcome for women in the automotive industry."
Julia Muir, Founder of the UK Automotive 30% Club and CEO of Gaia Innovation Ltd, concludes: "I am extremely pleased to welcome Jon Wakefield and Volvo Car UK to the UK Automotive 30% Club, and what better day to join us than on International Women's Day, which is also the day we launch our new website to provide news, advice and guidance to the sector.
Volvo has a strong brand reputation, and is a great addition to the club as we work together to send a clear message that the automotive sector is a good place for women to work. We've already welcomed one of Volvo's senior female managers as a speaker for our 'Inspiring Automotive Women Day' schools outreach campaign, and I hope to see many more of them nominated for our Inspiring Automotive Women Awards."
-ends-
-------------------------------
Volvo Car Group in 2018
For the 2018 financial year, Volvo Car Group recorded an operating profit of 14,185 MSEK (14,061 MSEK in 2017). Revenue over the period amounted to 252,653 MSEK (208,646 MSEK). For the full year 2018, global sales reached a record 642,253 (571,577) cars, an increase of 12.4 per cent versus 2017. The results underline the comprehensive transformation of Volvo Cars' finances and operations in recent years, positioning the company for its next growth phase.
About Volvo Car Group
Volvo has been in operation since 1927. Today, Volvo Cars is one of the most well-known and respected car brands in the world, with sales of 642,253 cars in 2018 in about 100 countries. Volvo Cars has been under the ownership of the Zhejiang Geely Holding (Geely Holding) of China since 2010. It formed part of the Swedish Volvo Group until 1999, when the company was bought by Ford Motor Company of the US. In 2010, Volvo Cars was acquired by Geely Holding.
In 2018, Volvo Cars employed on average approximately 43,000 (39,500) full-time employees. Volvo Cars' head office, product development, marketing and administration functions are mainly located in Gothenburg, Sweden. Volvo Cars' head office for China is located in Shanghai. The company's main car production plants are located in Gothenburg (Sweden), Ghent (Belgium), South Carolina (US), Chengdu and Daqing (China), while engines are manufactured in Skövde (Sweden) and Zhangjiakou (China), and body components in Olofström (Sweden).
About the UK Automotive 30% Club
The UK Automotive 30% Club is a voluntary group of MDs and CEOs from automotive manufacturing, retailing and supplier companies. The club was founded by Julia Muir, CEO of Gaia Innovation Ltd, with the purpose of achieving 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 women by 2030 through a '30 by 30' strategy. The '30 by 30' strategy takes action to attract, recruit, promote and retain capable and talented women through the organisational pipeline.
The club has a growing number of automotive members, including Kia, Toyota, VW Group, Mazda, Bentley, Ducati, Inchcape, Vertu Motors plc, Lookers plc, Jardine Motor Group, AutoTrader, JCT600 and Marshall Motor Group.
Through its network of female automotive executive volunteers, the club undertakes school outreach activities in the form of an annual Inspiring Automotive Women Day event and school visits. It holds an annual CEO conference to share best practice, and also an annual Inspiring Automotive Women Awards event to celebrate the women of the sector.
To find out more, please visit www.automotive30club.co.uk
Twitter: @Auto30Club / Linkedin: @Automotive thirty club
