The EV Summit’s Top Women in EV (TWIEV) which returned last week for its third year has been a huge success once again. One of the important components of the event is the mentorship programme.
This aims to empower women in the earlier stages of their careers, connecting them with fellow women in their industry to help unlock doors. The mentoring element allows women in the earlier stages of their careers to apply to be mentored by an experienced emobility professional in their field.
Michelle Davis, mentor and head of Automotive at LinkedIn, said: “The Top Women in EV mentoring programme is a uniquely positioned scheme to drive the skills and knowledge of women in the industry.
“Drawing upon a network of Top Women in EV, it gives encouragement and guidance to women in the early stages of their career in EV. My own experience has been rewarding as well as fascinating and I will be delighted to continue as a mentor within this programme.”
Erika Myers, mentor and Global Senior Manager, Electric Vehicles at World Resources Institute, said: “It is important for women to mentor other women in the electric vehicle industry because we face a unique set of challenges. I applaud Green.TV for acknowledging this need and proactively addressing it!”
The mentorship programme has led to real-world job success. At last year’s event Jean Hay successfully applied to the programme and was partnered with Charnjit Saranna, co-founder and CFO at Electric Zoo who provide zero-emission vehicle solutions.
The partnership worked well and resulted in Charnjit offering Jean a position with Electric Zoo. Jean is now working with electric Zoo in a business development role.
Jean Hay, now in Business Development at Electric Zoo, said: “As an electric vehicle driver for seven years and with a background in bringing EVs into Motorsport, I had a passion for encouraging uptake among whoever would listen. I didn’t however, have any experience in fleet management or sales.
“As a result, I attended the online event and decided to register for the Top Women in EV Mentorship Programme. I was paired with Charnjit and we were introduced via email in June. I found Charnjit instantly approachable, encouraging and very easy to get on with.
“By September Electric Zoo had decided to expand their EV Subscription service with a Scottish Office in Glasgow and armed with local knowledge, I started my new Business Development role with Electric Zoo. I’m now proud to have Charnjit as an ongoing mentor, inspiration and friend.”
Lindsay Brown, Creative Projects & Partnerships Manager at Green.TV Media that hosts Top Women in EV, said: “The Top Women in EV mentoring programme is about bringing people together, sharing strengths, and building confidence.
“Whether that’s one CEO speaking to another or a 10-year veteran supporting someone just starting their career. Working together, we can rise up, overcome barriers to success, and achieve the electric future we are all working towards.”
