Lisa Brankin: Why the Autocar Great Women Awards Are a Win for Our Whole Team

Recently, I had the privilege of joining my colleagues at the Autocar Great Women awards. Seeing eight of our team members honoured for their leadership and innovation was a powerful reminder that our success is a collective effort. It’s a moment to celebrate the incredible depth of talent driving our company through this transformative era.

I am immensely proud to shine a light on the achievements of my colleagues. Their recognition spanned the entire business, from our manufacturing floors to our government relations and our rising apprentices.

The recognition continued with five of our senior leaders being named to the influential “Top 100” list.

What makes me especially proud is seeing the next generation of leaders emerge.Sophie Gracia-Thomas, Charlotte Gill, Grace Northwood, Charu Srivastava and Holly Liggitt were all celebrated in the Apprentice category and secured a place on the “Top 100” list.

Success like this requires a culture that encourages diverse thinking. To tackle the challenges of electrification and new technologies, we need people who are curious, resilient, and prepared to think broadly. Seeing our team members recognised — from our most senior leaders to our newest apprentices — proves we are fostering those exact qualities.

As for my award, I was obviously really pleased to be named overall winner, but none of us do what we do alone — so the award is a testament to the great team of people I work with every day.

Lisa Brankin is the managing director of Ford Britain