Women in Leadership Interview Series: Michelle Breffitt from Women Drive Electric

Tell us about your journey and what led you to this role today

I wear a few hats - as most entrepreneurs do! Mainly, I'm co-founder of Women Drive Electric, a community-based initiative aiming to bridge the gap between female consumers and the automotive industry, helping them with their journey to making the switch to electric. The way we are doing this is through sharing as much real-world experience of women who drive electric and the women who work in the industry so that other women are encouraged to get involved, feel like it's a space for them to explore and be more comfortable with the language used when it comes to buying cars.  

Aside from Women Drive Electric, I'm also a director of a family car bodyshop and restoration business.  

I have always been in the automotive industry - my dad was in the car trade. I knew cars brought freedom. When you pass your driving test you’ve got that freedom to go anywhere. I knew that driving was going to be helpful in my career ambitions too. I began working at 16 in an apprentice role within a truck dealership. There was a women working there who really took me under her wing and gave me a lot of confidence in that role. I quickly learned that sales was an exciting space, but there were no women on those teams.  

I moved to a car dealership to do sales admin. They started a car rental division which I got involved in and this opened doors to meeting other people in the industry. From there I worked at the dealership Pentagon Vauxhall in their major fleet sales. I was ambitious, wanted to earn extra money and get some front of house experience so I decided to work on the reception at weekends too. 

After a couple of years and alongside a stint in business centre and van sales, the marketing director spoke to me about starting a company website and they needed someone to answer calls from all over the country. They wanted to control and check the activity while tracking the outcomes so instead of going through to the sales team I handled all calls and emails. We were incredibly early adopters of the internet and even were one of the first dealerships to use photos of cars and, eventually, video presentations of cars too. I had a natural sales instinct and even though I was just supposed to take details and pass this onto the sales team, I knew the product, so I was able to convert confidently and take deposits before passing the enquiries to the sales team. It really changed how the sales teams thought and responded to the online enquiries, because if I could sell cars over the phone, they should be able to! 

I realised that the online sales and digital marketing was only going to keep growing. We expanded and I was managing the full team which grew to a 7-day operation with live chats, Facebook enquiries, manufacturing leads and finance renewals. I was at Pentagon for over 20 years, and it really evolved over time. 

Sometimes ‘sales’ gets a bad reputation. But anyone that is good at sales is simply good at talking to people and matching products to their needs, with the best price. It is about being open and honest. 

In 2019 there was a restructuring, and shortly after my new role was unfortunately redundant. Although I was sad to leave the company, I knew I did not want to throw away my years of experience or let imposture syndrome sneak in.  

I started working with Motaclarity as a relationship manager in the disability motoring arena. In this time, I also got involved in Women Drive Electric and this bought out my entrepreneurial spirit.  

I am passionate about helping women buy cars because, from personal experience and from hearing hundreds of other women drivers, I know how frustrating the process can sometimes be. Our goal is to help change the old stereotypes and beliefs about the industry. We want to celebrate the great dealerships that genuinely care about supporting female customers which in turn helps all customers. 

Can you share a lesson or insight you've gained throughout your career?  

No matter what the industry, it is important connect with other women. Invest in your own career spotlight. Get on LinkedIn and get visible. In person networking events are also beneficial.  

It's like anything - if you were looking for styling ideas you would look at what other women you admire are wearing. Apply that theory, if you want to learn from others and progress your career connect with other women you admire.  

Who is your key role model and source of inspiration? 

Julia Muir is an inspiration. She is passionate about women leaders in the auto industry and is working hard to achieve 30% representation of women in leadership positions for the automotive industry by 2030. She is doing an excellent job championing women in automotive and encouraging apprenticeships. 

In your opinion, how can organisations drive meaningful diversity, equity and inclusivity within the workplace? 

Firstly, they need to measure. You cannot change something if you don't know where you are at. They need to be open and transparent - what's the reality?  

You can then see where the gaps are and know where to support women in the business. If you can’t measure it, you can’t monitor it, and you can't take action.  

Job advert descriptions need a complete overhaul. Again, it is about transparency. Statistics show that women will not apply for jobs unless they feel they can do 90% of it so job advert descriptions need to be adaptable and show flexibility. 

What advice would you give to women looking to take the next step into leadership? 

Apply the 80/20 rule. If you feel like you are 80% there, take the leap. Don't wait until you feel you are at 100% because there is never a perfect time.  

How do you think the automotive industry is doing in terms adopting female leaders, and what changes would you like to see?

The industry needs to value the workers they already have. Talk to the women in the workforce and understand what’s working and what isn’t. Visibility of female achievers creates credibility of women in those roles. Diversity should never be a tick box exercise and focus on this benefit everyone because we are all different. I saw a phrase that makes so much sense to me. We are all equal, but not the same.