V12 joins Automotive 30% Club

V12 Vehicle Finance (V12VF) has become a member of the Automotive 30% Club, which aims to address the current gender imbalance in the industry.

Managing director David Nield and commercial director Ciara Raison have joined the membership organisation, which is a voluntary network of MDs and CEOs from across the UK’s automotive industry spanning manufacturing, retailing and suppliers.

The purpose of the group is to spark change in the industry and support inclusive leadership, with a mission of filling at least 30% of leadership roles with diverse women by 2030.

Raison joins the Club as V12VF’s strategy lead. Underlining her passion for gender equality, Ciara is the founding member of Secure Trust Bank’s equality and diversity steering committee. She also scooped ‘Business Leader of the Year’ at the Women in Credit Awards last year.

Following a recent recruitment drive, 57% of V12VF’s motor team and 59% of its sales team are women, with 56% of senior roles filled by women.

Nield said: “We truly believe that a business is only ever as good as its people, which is why now was the perfect time to join the Automotive 30% Club to cement our mission of greater equality in our business and across the wider industry.

“We want to help shape an environment where all employees feel comfortable and happy to share their point of view and embrace their identity while at work. The automotive industry is changing for the better, allowing for more diverse opportunities and thinking. We are incredibly proud of our diversity and will continue to invest in our people, recruiting the very best people for our roles.”