Mazda UK continues to support the Automotive 30% Club, an organisation that is committed to achiever better gender balance within the automotive industry.

Established in 2016 by Gaia Innovation CEO Julia Muir, the Automotive 30% Club is a voluntary group comprised of Managing Directors and CEOs from automotive manufacturing, retailing and supplier companies with the aim of having women in at least 30% of key leadership positions by 2030.

Members include Auto Trader, Toyota GB, Jardine Motors Group, CDK Global, Volvo Car UK, Volkswagen Group UK, Kia Motors UK, Bentley Motors, Mitsubishi Motors UK, Ducati UK, Perrys, Vertu Motors, JCT600, Lookers Group, TrustFord, Marshall Motor Group, Dealer Auction, Blueprint Partners, and Close Brothers Motor Finance.

Mazda was the first member of the UK Automotive Club to successfully achieve the 30% mix with its senior leadership team.

With 165 employees, of which 39.39% are female, at the UK Head Office based in Dartford, Mazda’s female talent has been frequently recognised and honoured in Autocar’s annual Great Women in the British Car Industry initiative, which celebrates the top 100 influential women in the global automotive business.

Liesa Neal, HR director at Mazda UK (pictured), said: “At Mazda we fundamentally believe that our employees are our most important asset, so we take pride in growing and empowering our talent from within and providing everyone with equal opportunities to develop skillsets to embrace new roles or challenges.

“We have an inclusive culture that values diversity, which is demonstrated through our 30% female representation within our senior management team and throughout the organisation. With this ethos we are able to continue to challenge convention with our creativity, innovation and Mazda spirit.”

Mazda UK managing director Jeremy Thomson added: “I’m thrilled to continue our support for the Automotive 30% Club and above all, recognise the exceptionally talented female management and leadership team we have at Mazda UK.

“As the first member organisation to achieve the 30% gender balance, we want to lead the way for real industry change, so it’s important that collectively we work together to remove the barriers for women entering and progressing their careers within the automotive industry.”