Women@SIMI 2024: Celebrating Leadership in the Motor Industry

Published on 26 June, 2024

Event celebrates women in the motor industry

Overview

The Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) recently hosted its 9th Annual Women@SIMI event, sponsored by Bank of Ireland, at the Alex Hotel Dublin. The event brought together over 170 professional women from various sectors to celebrate the significant contributions made by women across the Motor Industry in Ireland.

At his first official event as SIMI President, Jonathan Meade addressed the audience, stating, “Women@SIMI shines a positive light on women working within the Motor Industry, serving as an example for others who may wish to join.” He emphasized the exciting opportunities within the industry and expressed gratitude to Bank of Ireland for their continued support of the event since its inception.

Mary Kennedy, the Master of Ceremonies, welcomed guest speakers Sharon O’Buachalla, Managing Director of Ayvens, and Aoife O’Grady, Head of Zero Emission Vehicles Ireland (ZEVI). Sharon O’Buachalla has played a pivotal role in guiding Ayvens to the forefront of fleet management and innovative mobility solutions in Ireland. Aoife O’Grady is leading the transformation of the national vehicle fleet towards electrification. Both speakers shared their insights on leadership and innovation in the industry.

Sharon O’Buachalla spoke about her experiences as a leader, saying, "To my let people be entrepreneurs, make mistakes, learn from them, give them the freedom and to listen. Surround yourself with very good people because the success of our company are the people. And for those think of entering the industry, you have to be passionate about what you do. There are many challenges facing our industry, every day is different, you must work hard and just go for it."

Aoife O’Grady remarked, "The Irish Motor industry is constantly evolving, you need to be prepared to be flexible and adaptable. Every job is interesting in its own way, you need to find what works for you."

John Feeney, Head of Property, Project, and Asset-backed Finance, Corporate and Commercial Banking, addressed the attendees, stating, “Bank of Ireland is delighted to sponsor the ‘Women@SIMI’ event again this year. This platform offers a great opportunity for women in the industry to network and gain leadership insights from esteemed industry leaders. At Bank of Ireland, we have a strong conviction that organisations and industries that harness talent thrive. We’re proud to be making significant steps to embodying this in our Group.”

SIMI remains committed to promoting inclusion and empowerment within the motor industry.

Sinead McCann

Sinéad is our resident car tester who has the unenviable (-ok, slightly enviable) task of reviewing all the latest new cars to hit the market. You can follow her on Twitter @smcani and on Instagram @whatshedrives