Fix Auto UK launches EmpowHER to drive female leadership

Fix Auto UK has launched EmpowHER, a new Women’s Leadership Programme designed to attract, support, retain and elevate female talent across its network.

The initiative marks a significant step in the organisation’s long-term commitment to building a more inclusive and representative workforce within the automotive repair sector.

EmpowHER was developed in-house and aims to address the industry’s gender imbalance by supporting emerging leaders and encouraging more women to explore careers in the bodyshop sector. The programme has four key objectives: increasing female representation at all levels, enhancing career progression, improving employee satisfaction, and achieving greater equity through transparent gender pay gap reporting.

Fix Auto UK already benefits from strong female leadership, with women making up over half of its senior leadership team. The EmpowHER committee, chaired by Erika Woolacott, Managing Director of Fix Auto Mid Devon and Newton Abbot, includes representatives from across the business – from apprentices to directors – who will help guide the programme’s delivery and impact.

“EmpowHER reflects our commitment to creating real opportunities for women at every stage of their careers,” said Erika. “We want to challenge outdated perceptions of automotive repair and show that this is an industry where women don’t just belong, they thrive”.

Supporting the initiative, Ian Pugh, Managing Director of the Advantage Group of Companies, said: “By supporting and developing more women across our Group, we’re strengthening our businesses, our people and the long-term future of the automotive repair sector”.

Elsewhere, Fix Auto has announced that 3M will return as Presenting Partner for the Fix Auto UK National Conference on 27-28 May at Resorts World, Birmingham. Themed ‘NEXUS’, the two-day event will bring together franchise partners and industry stakeholders to share insights and explore innovation, with further backing from sponsors including Sherwin Williams, Solera Audatex, and LKQ.