Auto Industry CEOs Launch Diversity Initiative

A group of automotive executives form the CEO Coalition for Change, an initiative aimed at increasing diversity, equity and inclusion in the industry.

The launch is announced by MICHauto, a statewide initiative of the Detroit Regional Chamber, and the nonprofit Center for Automotive Diversity, Inclusion & Advancement (CADIA).

“The Coalition is a group of automotive CEOs committed to making meaningful strides in diversity, equity and inclusion to become an industry that leverages diverse talent, better engages the workforce and creates economic opportunity in the communities in which the industry operates and serves,” MICHauto and CADIA say in a statement.

Founding members include:

CEO Coalition for Change members believe fostering and growing a diverse talent pipeline, developing diverse leadership talent and providing growth opportunities will drive social justice and equity and take actions to prove it, the statement says. The Coalition has identified focus areas and concrete actions that any organization can take for sustainable impact.

“For our industry to grow, for new technology to come to life and for our industry to be viewed as a high-tech growth industry, then it must be as diverse and representative as the global population it serves,” says Glenn Stevens Jr. (below), executive director of MICHauto and vice president of automotive and mobility initiatives for the Detroit Regional Chamber. “We believe this Coalition can serve as a major catalyst for realizing that goal,” he says.

Glenn Stevens Detroit Regional Chamber_0

“They not only have the levers to change systems, processes and policies, but also the responsibility to set the tone for the behavior and culture change required to make our industry and communities more inclusive, diverse and equitable.”