A Mountaintop Experience

At Cox Automotive, a team of women have set their sights beyond ascending the corporate ladder to an even loftier challenge — ascending the tallest peak in Africa.

Women With Drive U.K., which formed at Cox Automotive in 2016 and has since expanded to include all women in the automotive industry, has assembled an all-female team of climbers to summit Mount Kilimanjaro. The women will travel to Tanzania to begin their journey up the 19,341-foot-tall slope on Feb. 24. The undertaking is designed to highlight women in the automotive industry and tout their strength and resilience. The team will complete the challenge over a six-day period and return to the U.K. two days ahead of International Women’s Day on March 8.

Alison Fisher, HR director at Cox Automotive, said: “We know that women are under-represented in the motor trade, and Women With Drive exists to celebrate and highlight the role that women play in the industry.”

The team includes:

• Maria Soklis, president of Cox Automotive Canada
• Sarah Marley, general manager at Northampton
• Tracey Howell, head of performance at Xtime and incadea
• Charlotte Haylock, vendor support coordinator at Wimbledon
• Leanna Carley, HR administrator
• Vicky Avison from the Data Intelligence team
• Victoria Lee, an account manager from Strategic Accounts
• Rebecca Varo, operations manager at Vehicle Solutions
• Aneliese Platts, a graphic designer in Marketing
• Jo Robinson, head of back office systems in the Business Improvement Department

In addition to promoting gender equality, the climbers are supporting Cox Automotive’s charity partner, Wooden Spoon, by raising more than $21,000.