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“Women’s rights are not set in stone. They must be defended, strengthened, and grown. Progress isn’t guaranteed — it’s a shared responsibility.”
When those words were spoken on stage in Ludwigsburg last week, the room fell silent. For a moment, nearly a thousand people — leaders, engineers, innovators, and change-makers — collectively paused.
And in that silence, there was power.
Because everyone in that room knew: progress doesn’t happen by chance. It happens by people — by the ones who choose to show up, speak up, and lift others as they rise.
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On 7 October, the Women Automotive Summit: Europe 2025 united 977 leaders — 479 in person at the Forum am Schlosspark in Germany and 498 joining live online.
Together, they represented 268 companies across 38 nations — a global ecosystem of OEMs, Tier-1 suppliers, technology innovators, consultancies, and educational institutions.
The scale was unprecedented, but it wasn’t the numbers that defined it — it was the energy.
From the first keynote to the final applause, the Summit buzzed with honesty, ambition, and optimism. Conversations weren’t about what divides the industry — but about what will drive it forward.
If one message echoed across every keynote and workshop, it was this:
Real transformation begins with people — with courage, conviction, and connection.
As Isabelle Hahn, Director Automotive at Deloitte, reminded the audience:
“Technology will keep evolving — but people are the real drivers of change.”
Her talk wasn’t about software, systems, or electrification. It was about mindset. About leadership that dares to ask: who do we want to become as an industry?
That theme — transformation through people — became the Summit’s heartbeat.
Few moments captured that heartbeat more powerfully than Sophia Flörsch’s keynote.
The racing driver — who returned to competition after a devastating crash at the 2018 Macau Grand Prix — spoke candidly about resilience, recovery, and drive.
Her words were simple, but they landed deeply:
“If you fall, you stand up again,” she said. “That’s how it works — in racing, and in life.”
Her story wasn’t just about racing; it was about rising. It became a metaphor for the collective resilience of an industry reinventing itself amid constant change.
In A Leadership Exchange: How to Get a Seat at the Table and Succeed Amid Turbulent Times, four leaders — Maren Gräf (Škoda Auto), Sabine Scheunert, Maria Grazia Davino (BYD Europe), and Emmanuelle Bischoffe-Cluzel (Capgemini) — reminded us that leadership is less about power and more about purpose.
Maren Gräf opened with a reminder of what fuels sustainable leadership:
“Surround yourself with positive energy — people and life. You can’t grow in a negative environment. No one gets there alone; we all need networks — people who promote us and open doors.”
Sabine Scheunert reflected on her own pivotal decisions:
“I stepped out of my comfort zone, quitting, resigning, signing new contracts — and every time, I learned something new. Courage grows when you use it.
Maria Grazia Davino added:
“You are empathic and you have female wisdom which comes from your body and life experience — that’s your strength, not your weakness.”
And Emmanuelle Bischoffe-Cluzel shared her philosophy on balance and purpose:
“Follow your dreams, your heart, and your passion. Take time for what’s important — and don’t listen to those who don’t build you up.”
They spoke with disarming honesty about vulnerability, pressure, and self-belief. It wasn’t a panel — it was a mirror, held up to every woman who’s ever had to prove herself twice to be heard once.
The day wasn’t just personal — it was profoundly strategic.
In Unpicking the Influence of Chinese Players and Related Disruptions, Sophie Dervaux, Senior Vice President at AlixPartners, shared data that made headlines in the room:
“For the first time, automotive has become the world’s most disrupted industry,” she said. “By 2030, 76 percent of vehicles sold in China will come from Chinese OEMs.”
The statistic drew audible murmurs — not from fear, but from recognition.
Change is coming fast. Collaboration, agility, and ecosystem thinking aren’t optional — they’re survival strategies.
That sentiment was echoed later in the Closing Panel: Collaboration Without Borders.
“You don’t learn from success — you learn from errors,” said Ana Möller (WirelessCar). “No company can do this alone.”
It was a call that resonated well beyond the stage — one that will shape boardroom conversations for months to come.
At Bosch’s session Opening the Dialogue: From Awareness to Action, Bernd Grube and Judith Diem went deeper than DEI metrics. They explored what real inclusion feels like.
“Awareness is the first step,” said Diem. “But it’s action that builds trust.”
“Welcoming feedback,” added Grube, “creates psychological safety — and that’s where people do their best work.”
It was a reminder that creating belonging isn’t a checklist — it’s leadership in practice.
The future was on full display in the Mentorship and Gen Z discussion between Anne Kroll (Stabilus) and Vivian Okata, a 27-year-old engineering student from Berlin.
Okata’s words silenced the room — not out of shock, but admiration:
“We’re not looking for jobs that just pay the bills,” she said. “We want roles that pay the soul.”
And Kroll’s response showed why mentorship still matters:
“Investing in young talent is one of the smartest long-term sustainability goals a company can make.”
It was one of those moments where you could feel the generational bridge being built in real time — legacy meeting ambition, experience meeting energy.
In Opportunities and Challenges for Women in a Turbulent Automotive Market, leaders from Flex addressed the elephant in the room: instability.
“The market is turbulent,” said Diana Nastase, HR Director at Flex, “but it’s also a moment for opportunity. If we balance and steer with confidence, we can turn raw power into progress.
Their message landed clearly — pressure creates progress. But only if the industry can lead with balance, empathy, and resilience.
>>About the mentoring programme<<
As the final session ended and conversations spilled into the networking reception, one thing was clear: the Women Automotive Network has evolved from a summit into a movement.
Every moment — from Sophia’s standing ovation to Bosch’s dialogue on trust — built something larger than itself.
This wasn’t just an event.
It was evidence.
Evidence that when women and allies connect across borders, industries, and experiences, they don’t just discuss change — they deliver it.
A week has passed, and the energy hasn’t faded. Social feeds are still alive with reflections. New collaborations are forming. Mentorships are beginning. Companies are reaching out to continue conversations started in the corridors of Ludwigsburg.
“Progress isn’t guaranteed — it’s a shared responsibility.”
Those words have become more than a quote — they’ve become a challenge.
There’s still so much work to do. But in this moment, we celebrate how far we’ve come, the voices we’ve amplified, and the belief we continue to build together.
Because we are, and always will be - #BetterTogether
Continue the Journey
The Women Automotive Network now connects over 50,000 professionals across the global mobility ecosystem — through summits, mentorship, research, and corporate partnerships.
Be part of the next chapter: www.womenautomotivenetwork.com
The conversations don’t stop here. We’ll be back — bigger, bolder, and even more connected — at the Women Automotive Summit: Europe 2026.
Be the first to hear when registration opens: Join the 2026 Waitlist Now:
www.womenautomotivenetwork.com/europe-summit-2026-waitlist
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