GM execs Jocelyn K. Allen and Celeste Briggs
In honor of Women’s History month, Director of General Motors Women’s Retail Network, chats about mentoring and leadership.
GM has been on a mission to ensure that, because women buy so many cars–and so many of their cars–that women have the opportunity to grow professionally within the company, too. I recently sat down with General Motor’s Celeste Briggs, current Director, and one of the founding members of, the General Motors Women’s Retail Network.
We were at the beautiful Marriot Harbor Beach Resort and Spa in Ft. Lauderdale during the Black Enterprise Women of Power Summit, thanks to Jocelyn K. Allen, GM’s Director of Regional, Grassroots and Diversity Communications and Diversity Marketing and Communications for their Center of Excellence.
Celeste has three tips for success for for women in the automotive industry, or any industry, for that matter. She has spent 30 amazing and distinguished years in the automotive industry, with jobs ranging from sales, service, network planning and distribution, to architect of a variety of innovative retail initiatives. This has really positioned her to understand the female consumer and what it takes for a woman to be successful in the automotive industry.
Celeste’s top three tips for success:
#1: Be Informed– What I have always said is that to stay ahead you have to be astute in the business. What I do is read all day, every day, about the industry; what is happening and to stay ahead of the game. It is important to think about what new technology is coming into the space, what is happening in social media. It is also important to think about having to adapt to various changes that may take place during economic crunches and how you can stay ahead of those things.
#2 Keep your skills sharp– If you don’t keep your skills sharp, you will be left behind. To gain the success you are seeking in the industry, you have to truly work hard and become keenly astute to what is happening in the industry and learn new technology that you read about. Keep up with trends on social media and test the waters. Working hard will truly pay off.
#3: Build a Strong Network: You cannot do it alone. You have to build a strong network of women that are in the industry. Reach out to the best and brightest and it doesn’t necessarily mean it has to be a woman but if it is, so be it. You cannot do this by yourself, which is why we have 20 groups of women dealership owners coming together to share best practices, learn and grown together. It is critical to the success of your business and in getting it to the next level.
Learn more through GM’s conversation on Twitter by following @GM_Diversity and @TheExecuDiva and by following the hashtags #GMDiversity #MalibuMoments #AGirlsGuidetoCars #DrDawj #FindNewRoads.
Dawgelene Sangster
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