Women Automotive Summit: DETROIT

June 2, 2026, Vibe Credit Union Showplace, Novi, MI

THE 2026 AGENDA

Thank you for the incredible response. With industry-leading names confirmed and a powerhouse program revealed, limited opportunities remain to be part of one of the most respected leadership gatherings in the US automotive calendar.

08:00- 8:50 ET

Registration & Coffee

08:10 - 08:55 ET

Morning Masterclasses

Kick-start your day with high-impact workshops built to sharpen your skills and mindset. Expect engaging discussions, real-world insights, and practical takeaways to help you lead with purpose and thrive in your career.
  1. 1) Mindfulness & Intentional Living for High-Performing Women
    Step out of constant “go mode” and into a more grounded, intentional way of operating. Through movement, breathwork, and sound, you’ll learn how to regulate your nervous system and restore your energy.
    Gail Rubinstein
    CEO
    Retail Resilient
  2. 2) Breaking Through the Promotion Plateau: Claiming Your Seat in the C-Suite (invite-only session)
    High-performing female leaders often find themselves carrying more responsibility while seeing fewer opportunities for advancement. This session invites candid dialogue about the forces shaping promotion decisions at the executive level and how women can position themselves to claim their seat in the C-suite.
    Michelle Pippin
    Founder
    Empowering LeadHERs
9:00 - 9:15 ET

Welcome & Ice-Breaker Session

Sherril Harris
Reflective Leadership & Culture Strategist
9:15 - 9:35 ET

Inspirational Keynote Interview: How Personal Excellence Fuels Collaborative Leadership and Product Success

This interview will explore how Tracy's personal excellence, authenticity, and passion fuel collaborative leadership and business results. Through her career journey, we’ll discuss motivating teams, leading through change, and creating inspired products by bringing out the best in people.
Tracy Mack-Askew
Chief Engineer
Daimler Truck
(Host) Stephanie May
Community Director
Women Automotive Network
9:35 - 09:55 ET

Reserved for Headline Sponsor

Are you a senior industry leader shaping the future of automotive and mobility? Could you be this year's Headline Sponsor delivering a flagship keynote, sharing a bold perspective on leadership, innovation, and the strategic forces redefining the industry?

To discuss speaking and sponsorship opportunities in front of our audience of 500 automotive professionals, contact: Team@WomenAutomotive.com

9:55 - 10:45 ET

Panel: Leading and Building a Future‑Ready Workforce

Join leading industry voices as they discuss what defines effective leadership in today’s fast-evolving automotive landscape, new technology demands and the shift in talent skills required. This panel explores how to align organizational demands while fostering individual growth and team success.
Kim Ito
VP, Chief Marketing Officer
Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc.
Marissa West
Executive VP & Chairperson, North America
OPmobility
Matthew Stich
VP Purchasing
Toyota North America
Michelle Andersen
VP of Corporate Strategy
General Motors
(Moderator) Nora Eckert
Autos Correspondent
Reuters
10:45 - 11:30 ET

Networking Coffee Break

11:30 - 12:30 ET

*NEW* Workshops 1 & 2

This year there will be the chance for even more focused conversations, with breakout sessions running in parallel to the main conference stage.

Interested in hosting a session with targetted attendees, contact: Team@WomenAutomotive.com

  1. 1) Reserved for Roland Berger
  2. 2) Available: Interested in hosting a session with targetted attendees, contact: Team@WomenAutomotive.com
11:30 ET

Video Sponsor

To discuss ways to amplify your message to our audience of 1000 automotive professionals, contact: Team@WomenAutomotive.com
11:30 - 12:00 ET

Panel Discussion: Hybrid Horizons

Speaker TBC
Castrol
12:00 - 12:20 ET

The Power of Partnerships, Collaboration, and New Ecosystems

Analog Devices’ Yasmine King and Shalini Palmer share how partnership, beyond transactions, powers trusted mobility. As two women CVPs leading a unified automotive strategy, they explore how standards-based ecosystems unlock industry-wide scale, while reflecting on leadership journeys shaped by trust, collaboration, and relationships.
Yasmine King
Corporate Vice President, Head of Automotive Business Unit
Analog Devices Inc.
Shalini Palmer
Corporate Vice President, Global Automotive Sales
Analog Devices Inc.
12:20-12:40 ET

Leading Through the Shift: How Dana Changed Frontline Behavior Through Digital Connection

Changing frontline behavior at scale takes more than communication—it takes visibility, accountability, and engaged frontline workers. In this main-stage panel, leaders from Dana share how digital connection and real-time workforce data helped shift expectations, empower managers and deliver measurable results.

Attendees will gain practical insights on enabling frontline leaders, reinforcing behavior change, and linking engagement directly to productivity and retention.

Sheila Stafford
CEO
TeamSense
Andrea Gooch
Senior Human Resources Manager
Dana Incorporated
12:40 - 12:45 ET

Stand, Connect, Lunch

Participate in a dynamic networking activity designed to connect you with attendees who have shared interests and goals - making every lunch table a hub for meaningful conversation.
12:45 - 13:45 ET

Lunch

13:45 - 14:45 ET

*NEW* Workshops 3 & 4

This year there will be the chance for even more focused conversations, with breakout sessions running in parallel to the main conference stage.
  1. 1) From Data to Decisions: How Automotive Organizations Can Finally Unlock the Power of Their Information Supply Chain
    Automotive organizations are drowning in data but starving for clarity. This interactive session helps women leaders diagnose where decisions inside whether it be inside OEMs, suppliers, and dealer organizations are breaking down—and why traditional dashboards or tools rarely fix the real issue. Through group exercises and real‑world automotive patterns, attendees uncover the hidden bottlenecks slowing their organizations and learn the essential components of a healthy informational supply chain. You’ll walk away with clarity, connection to peers, and practical language to influence data-driven change—without pitches, buzzwords, or tech jargon.
    Yasmeen Yount
    Senior Vertical Market Manager
    Vehicle Intelligence at LexisNexis® Risk Solutions
  2. 2) Confidence vs. Competence: Why You’re More Ready Than You Think
    In this interactive workshop, learn how to show up before you feel 100% ready, increase your visibility, and confidently advocate for your next career move.
    Amanda Johnson
    Vice President, Enterprise Sales - Automotive
    Infor
    Rory Pumilia
    Vice President, Corporate Marketing
    Infor
13:45 - 14:15 ET

Interactive Session: Seizing the Power of your Community

Get Up. Show Up. Link Up.
Most women’s networks feel great but don’t move careers forward. This 30-minute interactive session changes that. Attendees identify where they are right now, connect with women at the same career edge, and leave with one bold action — plus a room full of people who witnessed it.
Meshell Baker
Chief Confidence Ignitor
14:15 - 14:35 ET

Leading with Intent: The Role of Allyship, a personal perspective from:

Stephen Livingston
Co-Chair Women of Ford
Ford Motor Company
Kyle Taylor
Infotainment SW Department Manager
Hyundai America Technical Center, Inc. (HATCI)
2:35 - 2:55 ET

Driving the Future Together: a cross-generational, knowledge sharing conversation with Mazda

Maggie Hubble
Senior Director Data, Analytics and Governance
Mazda North American Operations
14:55 - 15:30 ET

Coffee Break - Networking

15:30 - 16:30 ET

*NEW* Workshops 5 & 6

This year there will be the chance for even more focused conversations, with breakout sessions running in parallel to the main conference stage.

Interested in hosting a session with targetted attendees, contact: Team@WomenAutomotive.com

15:40 - 15:50 ET

AlixPartners' Global SDV Survey: insights from around the world, including China, the U.S., and Europe

Yvette Zhang
Partner & Advanced-Mobility Segment Co-Leader
AlixPartners
15:50 - 16:10 ET

Topic TBC

Alisha Bellezza
SVP Global Automotive & Packaging Coatings
PPG
16:10 - 16:30 ET

Collaboration and Innovation Throughout the Value Chain

Interested in joining this session, contact: Team@WomenAutomotive.com
Jennifer Kempf
Commercial President
Dow MobilityScience™
16:35 - 17:10 ET

Closing Panel: "Ask me Anything"

A highly interactive open floor session, closing the day bringing the room together for an honest, energetic discussion, shaped entirely by the audience. The panellists will take questions live, offering candid, on-the-spot perspectives from a diverse group of industry experts.
Denise Barfuss
Director, Client Engagement
Automobility Advisors
Amy Sgrignoli
VP of Connected Business
Subaru of America
Laura Baetens
Talent Management Director
Stellantis
Stefanie Stamatopoulos
Vehicle Operations Manager
Nissan North America
17:10 ET

Chair's Closing Speech

17:30 ET

Networking Cocktail Reception

18:30 - 20:30 ET

Awards

As part of the Women Automotive Summit, all our in-person attendees and sponsors are invited to the AutoTech Awards & joint networking. The Women Automotive Network will present the ''Woman Automotive Leader of the Year" & "People & Culture Excellence" awards.
Submissions open next week!

LEARN MORE

June 3rd 2026
*Ticket for AutoTech required to join these sessions (free for Automakers)

Women Automotive Network Panel Discussion at AutoTech*

Driving Innovation: Advancing Safety and Experience in EVs
Stephanie May
Director
Women Automotive Network
Gemma Parker
VP Vehicle Program Management
Lucid Motors
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