Moms in the automotive industry
July 12, 2012
It makes sense for moms to connect their passion for learning and working with their love for their children. The four mom engineers behind the 2013 Chevy Malibu did just that.
These women are changing the game of the automotive industry, not only by advocating for female engineers but also through helping create cars catered to a mother's life. General Motors is quickly recognizing the importance of shrinking the gender gap, and is doing so by supporting scholarships for moms and other women. The GM Foundation encourages women to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math.
"Women are large consumers," Barbara Lisko, of MIT's Women's Technology Program, told Fins Technology. "If you want to appeal to them, you need to understand what their needs and requirements are."
The Malibu's mom-friendly features include a quieter engine so as to hear kids in the back, better aerodynamics to increase fuel efficiency on long trips and lots of additional storage.
"Knowing that the work I do helps protect other people's children is very rewarding," said Julia Kleinert, a mother of four and Malibu's child safety technical lead. "I love to be able to tell people what I do, and how much work goes into the safety of every GM vehicle."
