Curious by Nature, Strategic by Choice: Misty Mitchell on Leadership, Opportunity and Supplier Inclusion

Inspirational Role Model Feature | Women Automotive Network

At the Women Automotive Network, we are proud to spotlight the women whose careers, leadership, and lived experience are shaping the automotive industry for the better. Our Inspirational Role Model series celebrates the professionals whose journeys offer a roadmap for the next generation of women entering and rising through the sector.

In this edition, we feature Misty Mitchell, Head of Purchasing & Supplier Inclusion at Electrify America, a subsidiary of Volkswagen Group of America. Misty's route into automotive was anything but traditional, taking her from data analysis and procurement into EV infrastructure, supplier inclusion and leadership. She shares why transferable skills matter, how relationships can change the trajectory of a career, and why women should stop waiting until they feel 100% ready before stepping forward.

Above: Misty Mitchell, Head of Purchasing & Supplier Inclusion, Electrify America

Can you tell us a little about you, your background and how you got started in the automotive industry?

My path into automotive was anything but traditional — in fact, automotive wasn't even an industry I was pursuing at the time.

Before joining Electrify America, I had built my career at Gate Gourmet, where I progressed from a Data Analyst into Category Procurement Management. By that point, I had developed deep experience in strategic sourcing, category management, supplier relationships, negotiations, and finding opportunities to create value for the business.

Then a relationship changed the trajectory of my career.

I met a friend at a cycle studio who happened to be a Buyer for Volkswagen. She learned about my procurement background and introduced me to her manager. At the time, electric vehicle charging infrastructure was still an emerging industry, and Electrify America was building something entirely new.

I didn't come in with an automotive background. I came in with strategic procurement experience and the ability to learn.

I joined Electrify America in 2018 as a Buyer supporting EV infrastructure and suddenly found myself sourcing for a rapidly developing industry — charging hardware, construction services, marketing, technology, maintenance, software, professional services, and many of the other pieces required to build a nationwide charging network.

I had to be curious. I had to ask questions. And I had to become comfortable not always being the subject-matter expert in the room while still knowing that I brought valuable procurement expertise to the table.

Since then, my career at Electrify America has taken me from EV infrastructure procurement into Corporate Social Responsibility and Supplier Diversity leadership, and ultimately back to procurement, where I now lead Purchasing and Supplier Inclusion.

Looking back, one introduction at a cycle studio opened the door — but transferable skills, relationships, curiosity, and a willingness to step into something new are what allowed me to build a career on the other side of it.

It's also why I tell women not to disqualify themselves from an opportunity simply because their résumé doesn't look exactly like the job description.

Sometimes you don't need experience in the industry. You need the experience the industry needs.

What is your current role, and what are your primary responsibilities within your organisation?

I lead Purchasing and Supplier Inclusion at Electrify America, where my team manages complex purchasing initiatives and commodity procurement supporting more than $200 million in annual enterprise spend across our EV charging infrastructure network.

But procurement is about much more than negotiating price.

My team partners across the organization on sourcing strategy, supplier selection, negotiations, contract agreements, supplier relationships, risk, compliance, and ultimately ensuring that our external partnerships deliver the right value for the business.

One of the things I love about procurement is the visibility it gives you across an organization. To do it well, you have to understand what the business is trying to accomplish, where the risks are, what matters to your stakeholders, and how to bring all of those pieces together.

Supplier inclusion is also an important part of my work. I'm passionate about expanding access to opportunities and ensuring we're looking broadly at the supplier marketplace rather than automatically returning to the same familiar solutions.

But leadership is probably the responsibility I take most personally. One of my most important responsibilities is developing people. I want the members of my team to understand the business behind the purchase, build confidence in their expertise, and know that their voices carry weight.

What advice would you give to women aspiring to leadership positions in the automotive industry?

Stop waiting until you feel 100% ready.

I think women can be particularly hard on ourselves about readiness. We convince ourselves that we need another certification, another year of experience, or one more accomplishment before we raise our hand — while someone else who meets half the qualifications has already applied.

Preparation matters, but so does trusting the value you already bring and believing that you belong in the room.

My own career is evidence of that. I entered automotive without automotive experience. What I did have was strategic procurement expertise, business acumen, curiosity, and a willingness to learn an entirely new industry.

Don't confuse being new to an industry with being unqualified to contribute to it.

I also encourage women to become known for something. Develop expertise. Understand your business. Ask good questions. Build relationships outside of your immediate function. Be someone people trust to solve problems.

And don't be afraid to let people know what you want. Your manager, mentors, sponsors, and network cannot advocate for an opportunity they don't know you're interested in.

Finally, when you reach a position where you have influence, use it. Bring someone with you. Leadership isn't just about occupying a seat at the table; it's also about making the table bigger.

"Leadership isn't just about occupying a seat at the table; it's also about making the table bigger."

— Misty Mitchell, Head of Purchasing & Supplier Inclusion, Electrify America

How have mentors and sponsors played a role in your career, and how do you recommend finding and cultivating these relationships?

Relationships have quite literally changed the trajectory of my career. I wouldn't have entered automotive the way I did without one, and I would be remiss not to recognize Vanessa Ridley-Gray, who became an incredible mentor to me during my time at Gate Gourmet.

Vanessa saw value and potential in me and, more importantly, made sure other people saw it too. She put me in rooms with people who otherwise may never have known me or understood what I could bring to the table. She taught me what true leadership looks like — how to lead with confidence, presence, authenticity, and how powerful it can be to use your influence to create opportunities for someone else.

That experience also taught me the difference between mentorship and sponsorship. A mentor helps you grow and prepares you for opportunities. A sponsor says your name in the room when you aren't there — and sometimes gets you into the room in the first place. Vanessa did both for me.

Today, that's something I try to pay forward through mentoring others. I don't think these relationships always have to begin with a formal, “Will you be my mentor?” Find people whose leadership you respect. Ask thoughtful questions, seek honest feedback, stay connected, and do something with the advice you receive.

And as your own influence grows, don't just build your network — use it to open doors for someone else.

What is the hardest truth young women entering this field need to hear?

Doing excellent work is important. But doing excellent work alone isn't always enough.

Many of us were taught some version of: work hard, keep your head down, do a great job, and eventually someone will notice. Sometimes they will. Sometimes they won't.

You have to learn how to communicate your value without feeling like you're bragging. Build relationships. Ask for opportunities. Understand how decisions are made. Speak up when you have something meaningful to contribute and get comfortable with not knowing everything.

Some of the greatest growth in my career has come from being willing to say, “I don't know yet, but I can figure it out.”

How do you support and empower other women in your organisation to achieve their career goals?

I try to support women in the way I would want someone to support me: encourage me, challenge me, advocate for me and most importantly, tell me the truth.

Sometimes empowerment means recommending someone for an opportunity. Sometimes it's handing someone a challenging project and saying, “I think you're ready for this,” before they're completely convinced themselves.

And sometimes it's simply asking, “What do you want next?” That's a question I think leaders should ask more often.

Through our formal mentoring program that I have participated in for the last 5 years and everyday leadership, I try to create space for honest conversations about career goals, confidence, navigating challenges, and professional growth.

I also believe empowerment requires honest feedback. Supporting another woman doesn't mean telling her everything she's doing is perfect. It means caring enough about her success to celebrate what she does well while helping her recognize what may be holding her back.

How do you inspire your team and peers to embrace diversity and drive inclusive practices?

Diversity and inclusion can't live only in a statement, an event, or a metric. It has to show up in everyday business decisions. We have a very inclusive culture in our organization, and my goal is to make inclusion practical.

Who gets invited into the conversation? Who receives opportunities? Which suppliers are considered? Who are we developing for the next opportunity?

Procurement gives me and my team a unique opportunity to put that philosophy into practice.

When we expand the supplier pool, we're not simply checking a diversity box. We're introducing new ideas, creating competition, reducing dependency, and potentially discovering solutions we would never have encountered because we are not afraid to ask the questions that matter. Inclusion often starts with curiosity.

How do you respond to those who say the automotive industry is still a “man's world”?

I would say the automotive industry may historically have been male-dominated, but its future doesn't look like its past. The industry is undergoing enormous transformation and transformation creates opportunity. Women don't need to figure out how to fit into a “man's world.” We are bringing our expertise, perspectives, experiences, and leadership styles into this industry and helping shape what comes next.

Representation matters. I want young women entering this industry to see women leading procurement, engineering, technology, operations, finance, legal, and executive teams and know those possibilities exist for them too.

But representation isn't the finish line. Success is when seeing women in those positions stops being noteworthy. It simply becomes normal.

What's your personal career motto?

“Curious by nature. Strategic by choice.”

Curiosity has been one of the greatest drivers of my career.

I'm naturally the person who wants to understand why. Why are we doing it this way? How does this work? What are we missing? Is there another option? Who haven't we talked to?

That curiosity allowed me to walk into an industry I knew very little about and build a career in it. It has helped me learn, build relationships, challenge assumptions, and continue evolving as a leader.

But I've also learned that curiosity becomes much more powerful when you pair it with strategy. It's not enough to ask questions — you have to know what to do with the answers.

So “Curious by nature. Strategic by choice.” isn't simply my career motto, it's how I got here and it's how I intend to keep growing.