Winners 2024

Operations 2024

Hadhami Dhraief moved from Germany to oversee VW Group UK’s IT operations back in 2022 and is currently one of two women board of management directors reporting to Group head Alex Smith (the other being Penny Weatherup, VW Group people director). Fluent in four languages, Hadhami joined VW Group back in 2009 as part of its AutoVision IT services division and has since risen through the ranks of VW Germany’s IT operations, leaving as senior manager. Born in Tunis in Tunisia, Hadhami moved to Germany on a scholarship to study computer science, one of just 10 women among 300 men on her course. She started out as a software engineer at the BFI bank before moving to become first research assistant and then lecturer of Leibniz University of Hannover until she went back into the private sector in 2005. The ratio of women to men has improved in her discipline over the years but Hadhami has pushed to go further and recently proudly shared that she has helped create a more diverse team within VW Group UK’s IT operations, which is now 44% women, rising to 60% on its leadership team.

Operations 2024 nominees

Stephanie Jackson, Aston Martin Lagonda

Stephanie Jackson acts as liaison to senior management for key issues affecting the company. She was promoted to the role in February 2022 from the position of director of corporate strategy, where she oversaw the company’s business plan and growth strategy, including running the management committees. She was made director in 2019 after 10 years at Aston Martin, during which she deployed her law background to good effect within the firm’s Office of General Counsel. Prior to joining the company she was a solicitor.

Justine Pridding, Bentley Motors

Justine Pridding’s role is to advise the board with particular emphasis on development and production, as well as the advancement of technology and critical concerns. She also provides legal support across the business and globally, including management of company trademarks. She joined Bentley in 2008 as a legal advisor before being promoted to her current role in 2019. On top of that Justine is a sponsor of the company’s gender inclusivity network BeInspired, which has worked hard to promote women at the company.

Emma Perriman-Rabone, Bentley

Emma Perriman-Rabone is responsible for defining Bentley’s compliance and risk strategy, and putting in place processes that can prevent any financial, legal and reputational risks. She joined Bentley in her current role in 2021 from the appliance and electronics company SharkNinja, where she was director of global risk and compliance. Prior to that she worked at logistics firm DHL for four years, rising to global compliance manager. Emma also participates in the company’s LGBTQ+ BeProud network and her hard work is partially responsible for growing the network to 97 members across the business.

Helen Hodgson, Stellantis

Helen Hodgson was promoted to this title in 2023 after serving as head of fleet operations for Peugeot, Citroën and DS. As part of her duties in this key role she has led the study and launch of the planned switch to sell direct to customers with dealers moving to become ‘agents’. Among her previous jobs within the PSA Group, Helen was first to hold the title of head of electric vehicles and connected services when it was created in the UK in 2016. She joined Peugeot as a graduate and has worked through the business in a series of increasingly senior sales and aftersales roles.

Laura Horne, Ineos

Laura Horne has a wide-ranging senior role in the off-road focused brand, including overseeing plans for large-scale programmes such as new models, new markets and longer-range planning to ensure the line-up meets future CO2 compliance. She joined Ineos Automotive in 2018 as head of product marketing, making her an early recruit. She moved to head of commercial programmes in 2020 before being promoted to her senior position in August 2023. Prior to that Laura worked at Nissan in the UK for four years, rising to the position of marketing programmes manager.

Hayley Wright, Lotus Cars

Hayley Wright was promoted to her current role in September 2023 based in the UK HQ of Hethel in Norwich where she will oversee the eventual switch to an electric sports car line-up. Wright moved to Lotus in 2019 from Jaguar Land Rover where she had risen to the position of head of production quality at its flagship Solihull plant. Starting in production quality assurance at Hethel, she moved to head of manufacturing systems – setting up the Lotus learning academy – before moving to launch director and then manufacturing systems director, before adding business transformation director to her title in May 2022.

Bim Adesanya, Ford Credit/Ford of Britain

Bim Adesanya’s role within both Ford of Britain and its credit division is to ensure compliance with financial and legal regulations as well as corporate governance. She joined Ford in November 2020 from US bank JP Morgan where she worked as a company secretary for the securities division. Adesanya holds qualifications from the Chartered Governance Institute UK and Ireland (ICSA) and is a Fellow of the Chartered Governance Institute UK and Ireland.

Verity Mercer, Groupe Renault UK

Mercer was promoted to this role in September 2021 from a position overseeing CRM (customer retention management), data and e-commerce strategy for Renault and Dacia. Previously she was responsible for boosting brand awareness of all Groupe Renault brands in Europe, including Lada and Dacia, working in Paris. Mercer joined Renault UK as a graduate trainee in 2001, rising to senior brand communications manager for the whole UK in 2013.

Usha Raghavachari, Ford

Usha Raghavachari heads up the London-based team tasked with devising innovative features and services within Ford – most recently the Transit’s folding steering wheel. She was promoted to this position in 2019 from her previous post as Ford’s marketing director for EVs in China and the Asia-Pacific region. That in turn was a step up after serving as director of marketing for Ford in the Asia-Pacific region, based in Shanghai and starting in 2017. Prior to that she had been European head of marketing communications for the brand before moving to China in 2016. Her Ford career started in fleet communications in the UK.

Kirsty Bennett, Bentley

Kirsty Bennett is responsible for the delivery of Bentley’s strategic IT programme, which plays a key role in the company's Beyond 100 transformation to become carbon neutral by 2030. She joined Bentley in 2021 from Virgin Atlantic where she had been head of technology and transformation for three years. Prior to that she was head of technology and delivery at the Carnival UK cruise line company.

Catherine Baker, VW Group UK

Catherine Baker holds a key senior role in VW Group UK’s aftersales operations, overseeing the £500-million parts supply operation and reporting directly to Sylvain Charbonnier, director of aftersales. She oversees VW’s TPS (Trade Parts Specialist) division that distributes 11.5 million genuine parts for all group brands. She joined VW in 2012 from Mercedes-Benz and gained wide-ranging experience in VW Group’s financial services division before moving to lead dealer training in 2018. Catherine is also the senior sponsor for the group's Inspire initiative which runs outreach programmes for schools and colleges.

Suzanne Woolley, Volvo Car UK

Suzanne Woolley was promoted early this year to consumer operations director having impressed as digital director, where she was responsible for developing and executing IT and digital strategies for the UK, one of Volvo's largest global markets. She joined the car maker in 2020 from Sky, where she had been director of data products, delivery and strategy since 2018. Prior to that she worked for BT’s EE brand as head of customer retention and insight as part of a career in telecommunications that included 11 years at Orange.

Sarah Brettle, Ford UK

Sarah Brettle looks after Ford’s aftersales in the UK and Ireland, making sure this key revenue channel stays profitable through her oversight of Ford’s network of repairers and bodyshops. She reports directly to Nigel Brackenbury, head of the customer service division for Ford of Europe. She joined Ford in 1998 as a direct sales manager and worked her way through aftersales to take up her current post in 2020. Her key achievements include the rollout of the Ford Certified Collision network.