Eight Kettering Alumnae Land on 100 Leading Women in the North American Auto Industry List

A woman inside a car with a laptop working

Kettering University graduates are once again being recognized as leaders and innovators as eight alumnae were recently listed in Automotive News100 Leading Women in the North American Auto Industry.

“Kettering University provides a world-class education by integrating a challenging academic curriculum with hands-on work experience that prepares graduates to excel throughout their careers,” said Sue Davies, Vice President for University Advancement and External Relations. “Congratulations to this year’s remarkable women.”

This year’s honorees are:

  • Mary Barra (’85, Electrical Engineering), Chairman and CEO of General Motors
  • Wendy Bauer (’98, Electrical Engineering/Mechanical Engineering), Global Director, Automotive Sales of Amazon Web Services
  • Pamela Fletcher (’89, Mechanical Engineering), Vice President of Global Innovation at General Motors
  • Denise Gray (’86, Electrical Engineering), President of LG Chem Michigan
  • Jennifer Johnson (‘99, Mechanical Engineering), CEO of Kendrick Plastics
  • Heather Klish (’02, Mechanical Engineering), Vice President of Manufacturing, Continuous Improvement and Integration at BorgWarner
  • Vickie Piner (’89, Industrial Engineering), Global Vice President of Quality, E-Systems at Lear Corp.
  • Jamie Zinser (’99, Mechanical Engineering), Chief Technology Officer at Global Automotive Systems

The list has been compiled by the media outlet every five years since 2000 by Automotive News editors and reporters, DeLoitte Managing Director Michelle Lytle and Nancy Philippart, general partner and co-founder of Belle Michigan, an early-stage venture fund that invests in women-led startups. Components that factor into consideration are the size and importance of the candidate’s business, health and direction of the business and arch of the candidate’s career, according to an Automotive News description of how honorees are selected.

Nearly 400 women have been celebrated since the list began. This year, women from 72 companies were selected, up from 54 in 2015.