The mission of the Women’s Industry Network (WIN) is to support and empower women in the collision repair industry by promoting education, career advancement and networking. The WIN Board of Directors is tasked with leading the organization in promoting these initiatives. The group is comprised entirely of volunteers and represents various segments of the collision repair industry, including but not limited to repair shops, suppliers, consultants, information providers and insurance companies.
Elizabeth StoneVice President for Strategic Initiatives, Certified collision groupwas recently named WIN’s newest Chair for 2024-25. Having joined the Board in 2019, she previously served as WIN Membership Chair and Co-Chair of the Annual Education Conference.
Stein recently spoke about how WIN membership helps today’s collision repair industry.
WIN Chair Elizabeth Stein.
How does WIN work with its members, their organizations, students and the collision repair industry as a whole?
We work with many women and men in leadership and other industry roles who want to learn how to improve the recruitment and retention of female employees. This tells us that the industry continues to accept women in many different roles and recognizes their importance to the market. Despite this progress, there is still room for improvement and this is why WIN plays an important role in the overall structure of the collision repair industry. Through our focus on recruiting, retaining and promoting women, we are able to create and support several programs that help further advance the advancement of women and advance the automotive industry as a whole.
How does WIN achieve these goals?
In short, WIN provides training, mentoring and leadership development opportunities to develop critical skills for success in the collision repair market. This not only benefits the individual, but also what they bring to their company, thus helping the entire industry.
WIN educates women about the market through our annual conference and regular informative webinars on industry topics such as ADAS (Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems) and calibrations, welding, technician shortages and electric vehicle repairs, as well as finance, leadership and personal development. The result is that organizations are helped to regain their talent who are now better educated, better informed and have significantly expanded their skill set.
In addition to education and industry knowledge, WIN also offers great networking and socializing opportunities for women in a male-dominated industry. We host regular regional meetings where professional members can meet and expand their networks. You can also mentor or learn from mentors in different areas of the collision repair industry. In addition, we have many committees that members can join and learn to develop both team building and leadership skills.
Tell us about the story of WIN’s support in awarding student scholarships and school outreach programs.
Another way WIN supports the collision repair industry is by training the technicians of tomorrow. Last year, WIN awarded a record 30 scholarships and/or professional tool kits to women to help them advance their collision repair skills. Not only does this help solve the industry’s main problem of technician shortages by providing both tuition assistance and real, hands-on professional tool kits, but it has also given newcomers to the industry the opportunity to hit the ground running and achieve full employment much more quickly.
Another way WIN helps students is by providing mentoring and learning opportunities on best practices. We have created chat rooms and social media portals where students can participate and discuss their collision repair experiences and successes. Additionally, we now offer monthly peer-to-peer group sessions to support them in their shared collision repair experiences.
How does WIN achieve so many positive results?
Of course, the dedication and hard work of our many members and volunteers are key to achieving these many results, but we really have to thank our industry sponsors who have made this all possible. Our sponsoring organizations play an active role in developing the talent pool for our entire collision repair industry. We appreciate and thank all of our sponsors for their commitment to women in the industry through ongoing financial, leadership and resource support since our inception.
WIN sponsors are industry leaders from all aspects of collision repair who value the network’s mission to achieve sustainability in the industry by leveraging the talent, skills, mindset, energy and drive of women.
How have WIN’s Most Influential Women (MIW) awards complemented the professional work of women to improve the collision repair industry?
A: WIN established the MIW Award in 1999 to honor women whose leadership, vision and commitment to excellence have enriched the collision repair industry. This year, in celebration of MIW’s 25th anniversary, more than 100 honorees were selected based on their impact in the industry, professional achievements, commitment to the community and investment in the future through their willingness to mentor other women.
These industry professionals are shining examples of the variety of opportunities available in collision repair, and they are testaments to the positive impact women can have in this and all other fields. Their exemplary careers show all women that anything is possible if you put in the effort.
For more information about WIN, visit www.womensindustrynetwork.com.
