Why are you speaking at the Women Automotive Summit?
I’m speaking at the Women Automotive Summit because the global electric vehicle
challenge is rapidly accelerating and we need the best talent to deliver that!

Why do you think such an event is important to the industry?
We are facing the biggest disruption since the automotive industry began – so we need to
learn from the mistakes of the past and be more inclusive. Much more inclusive.

What will you be speaking about / contributing to the event?
I’d like to listen and learn…But I’ll also share my belief that the talent shortfall we face is
mostly about removing gender inequality. As it happens, when I was a musician over 40
years ago I used to be called ‘Me’ and I sang a song called ‘I am Me – not a category’ From
that time I have always tried to see the Me in everyone – not the category!…black, white,
male, female, rich, poor etc.

What is the most challenging issue currently affecting the automotive industry?
Switching from internal combustion engines to electric motors and from mostly owned to
mostly used.

What do think the future holds?
I think the future holds enormous challenges not the least off which is not dealing with
climate change. It’s all hands on deck for that…and notable that a young girl is now
leading the debate!

Roger Atkins, Founder Electric Vehicles Outlook