Celebrating Women in Auto Care Week
Monday 22nd February marks the start of 2021 ‘Women in Auto Care’ week - a virtual event designed to celebrate the contribution of women across the international automotive care industry.
As a stalwart of the tyre industry with 40 years’ experience, you might be forgiven for presuming that CAM is predominantly dominated by Y chromosomes. But you’d be wrong. In fact CAM is bucking the trend in both attracting female talent to the business and improving their visibility within the automotive and technology sectors.
In the UK women represent just 16.8%* of employees in the motor vehicle industry and only marginally more as 19%** of the digital tech workforce. At CAM women represent 25% of the workforce and that figure looks set to grow as CAM set out on a significant recruitment drive; an activity not many businesses are undertaking during the challenging economic conditions brought about by COVID-19.
To celebrate ‘Women in Auto Care’ week, to boost the visibility of women across tech, and to thank all our female colleagues, we’re pleased to introduce some of CAM’s #WomenInAutoCare:
Name: Frankie Sharp
Job Title: Head of Project Management
Time at CAM: 7 years
Responsible for: Projects at CAM, both internally and externally for our customers, the processes and the tools we use to track the projects from start-up to sign off.
Expert in: e-jobsheet and TiDaeX
When did your interest in tech and the automotive industry start?
“Before joining CAM 7 years ago, I didn’t know too much about the automotive industry. I’d probably been into a tyre depot once. However I’ve always had an interest in technology and it’s fascinating to see how the two work together.”
What is the coolest project you have worked on and why?
“I’ve worked on a lot of projects over the last few years at CAM and enjoy those that allow me to spend time talking and working with our customers. One that’s at the front of my mind currently is our Warehouse Management project. It’s allowed me to learn about a whole different sector of the tyre industry and it’s great seeing how our new Warehouse Management solution has had such a huge and positive impact for those customers.”
What advice would you give to aspiring women in tech & the automotive industry?
“It doesn’t matter if you don’t know everything from day one. Both are fast moving industries and you pick up knowledge over a short space of time whether that’s from talking to with people, running a software project or just using the software.”
Name: Christine Flynn
Job Title: Software Tester
Time at CAM: 1 year 9 months
Responsible for: Testing CAM’s software before release to our customers.
Expert in: “I worked in the fleet sector for 11 years, handling service bookings, breakdowns, vehicle hire, insurance claims and tyres. I have since gathered lots of useful (& some useless) knowledge about car and commercial tyres. I also know how to get around the breakdown service, so that they can send recovery straight away instead of getting someone out to say they can’t fix it and then waiting to be recovered. Sure saves a lot of time on the side of the road!”
What advice would you give to aspiring women in tech & the automotive industry?
“Don’t be put off by the few men that think you don’t know what you’re doing. I’ve had people on the phone say to me that I wouldn’t know what I was looking for as I am a woman. When you prove that you know more than them, they soon shut up, then you gain their respect very quickly!”
Name: Abigail Bragg
Job Title: Programme Manager
Time at CAM: 11 months
Responsible for: Overseeing the programmes of projects for 6 of CAMs key clients, being their internal CAM representative, alongside management of projects for new customer setups and management of internal development projects for both new and existing products.
Expert in: Planning, organising, monitoring and communicating.
When did your interest in tech and the automotive industry start?
“My journey in the automotive industry is just starting. I have much to learn and can’t wait to be able to visit our customers on-site; to get a hands-on with CAM’s products in live operation.”
What is the coolest project you have worked on and why?
“I just love all the projects. Whether it’s a new customer’s setup, an existing customer’s new strategy that needs implementing or enhancements to our products to facilitate our customers’ needs, the outcomes are always exciting.”
What advice would you give to aspiring women in tech & the automotive industry?
“Don’t be put off if you are new to the automotive industry. It’s really interesting, fast paced and in my experience, includes some of the most personable and down to earth people I have worked with.”
Name: Hazel Shaw
Job Title: Marketing & Communications Executive
Time at CAM: 5 months
Responsible for: Ensuring CAM’s customers are kept up to date with all our tyre software innovations.
Expert in: Marketing comms in the Visual Impairment Sector (now put to use in my role as Trustee for Sight Concern Worcestershire).
When did your interest in tech and the automotive industry start?
“My journey in the automotive industry is just starting, but I have spent the last 20 years marketing in the disability software sector. I’ve been working in a software development house since I left school!”
What is the coolest project you have worked on and why?
“Well it’s early days, but I’m very excited to be involved in CAM’s growing social media presence. As a company we’re doing so many cool things, and it’s going to be a real privilege to spread the word.”
What advice would you give to aspiring women in tech & the automotive industry?
“Just because you’re not the most technical person in the room, doesn’t make you less valuable. Knowing exactly what the customer wants & needs; knowing how to test it, or simply having fresh perspective is critical to any successful software project.”
Name: Hannah Cuttriss
Job Title: Customer Liaison Officer
Time at CAM: 17 months
Responsible for: Visiting our retail clients at their premises; ensuring they’re getting optimum experience from their CAM software and services.
Expert in: Account management, customer service and credit management.
What is the coolest project you have worked on and why?
“My job is all about being out on the road, visiting tyre depots across the UK. It’s a real pleasure to get to meet so many hardworking and lovely people, with a real passion for what they do.”
What advice would you give to aspiring women in tech & the automotive industry?
“My advice is to absolutely get involved in our unique industry! The beauty of combining the tech and automotive industries is the huge variety of roles – there’s going to be a position that needs your unique set of skills.“
Name: Julie Burroughs
Job Title: Accounts and HR Assistant
Time at CAM: 18 months
Responsible for: Purchase ledger accounts, expenses, onboarding new employees, company fleet and general employment administration.
Expert in: “Being organised - faced with a problem I must solve it.”
When did your interest in tech and the automotive industry start?
“One of my first roles was working for a car show room as an administrator. My general duties included preparing new and used vehicle listings for the local press. I’m not very tech minded but I am keen to utilise new software to improve my role and the things I am involved with.”
What is the coolest project you have worked on and why?
“I’m currently involved in a new training programme for CAM. It’s a project where we are starting from scratch and developing some really exciting plans.“
What advice would you give to aspiring women in tech & the automotive industry?
“Just go for it!”
Name: Cailin Tootell
Job Title: 1st line Support Engineer
Time at CAM: Just under 2 years
Responsible for: Support emails & incoming support calls, raising support tickets. Midas and wholesaler stock updates.
Expert in: CAM’s Midas product and Customer service.
When did your interest in tech and the automotive industry start?
“It all started when I first joined CAM just under 2 years ago.”
What advice would you give to aspiring women in tech & the automotive industry?
“You never know what will interest you until you try it. A temporary job in a field you’re inexperienced in may turn out to be a career you enjoy and love learning about!”
Name: Maria Wiggett
Job Title: Accounts Assistant
Time at CAM: 18 Months
Responsible for: Accurate Billing of Cam Customers for products and Services. Sales, Purchases and Bank reconciliation within Cameo and the General Ledger.
Expert in: Attention to detail.
Name: Amara Maiden
Job Title: 1st Line Support Engineer
Time at CAM: 2.5 Years
Responsible for: I am responsible for logging and completing support tickets raised by our customers.
Expert in: CAMs applications and assisting our customers with getting the most from them.
What advice would you give to aspiring women in tech & the automotive industry?
"I would say don’t be put off if you feel like you don’t know. My role at CAM is the first job I’ve had - I’d just finished Sixth Form when I started. I was nervous to start, especially as I wasn’t familiar with the tyre industry. However, I feel that working in this role has allowed me to gain a lot of confidence and a lot of new tech skills I wouldn’t have learnt otherwise."
*16.8% of Women Employed in Wholesale, Retail Trade & Repair of Motor Vehicles (2018)
European Association of Automotive Suppliers, European Trade Union, and European Tyre & Rubber Manufacturer’s Association, European Sector Skills Council: Automotive Industry (2016): p. 36.
https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1415&intPageId=5062
**Women represent just 19% of the digital tech workforce in the UK, as opposed to 49% across all jobs, according to the 2018 Tech Nation Report.