The WWCOTY jury will choose the Woman of Worth Award among 15 professionals who have stood out for their work in the automotive industry and in motor sport
Once again this year, the Women’s Worldwide Car of the Year is announcing the WOW (Woman of Worth) award. This honor recognizes the work of professional women who have stood out for their work in the automotive industry and in motor sport.
In this edition, the 65 jury members of the WWCOTY from 47 countries will evaluate the role that each of the nominee professionals.ย The results of the voting will be announced on 24 May. The nominees are:
NOMINATION In alphabetical order of first name | BACKGROUND |
Ariane Kilian | Head of Communications at ล KODA AUTO. Since 2015, she has been responsible for the communication activities of Volkswagen Group Components and, since 2021, the new Group Division Technology with additional responsibilities for Batteries and Charging & Energy. From 2015, she also voluntarily builtup Volkswagen Group Refugee Aid and headed it until 2020. |
Asako Hoshino | Asako Hoshino serves as executive vice president for Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. She also chairs the management committee for the Japan-ASEAN region. Hoshino is also a member of NMLโs Executive Committee and INFINITI management committee. She has served as an executive vice president since May 2019. |
Astrid Linder | Swedish engineer and researcher in motor vehicle safety. She made the Female Dummy, because through this development Astrid seeks to reduce the gender bias in vehicle safety tests, to make them safer for us too. |
Hannah Schmitz | Red Bull Racing principal strategy engineer at Red Bull Racing and Red Bull Technology. She was vital in Max Verstappenยดs title and F1 Team championship. In 2022, Hannah showed the importance of the strategy in racing and the huge role female engineers play in competition. |
Huda Al Matroushi | She is carving out her own place in a male-dominated industry in the UAE. She is a car mechanic who owns her own garage, Imex Car Service, in Sharjahโs Industrial Area 1. She also has a day-time job with Sharjah government where she heads a department. Her passion for and perseverance with her twin responsibilities should send out a strong message to women all over the world that anything is possible, anything is achievable โ no limits, no boundaries. |
Laia Sanz | She is a Spanish trial, enduro and rally-raid rider. She has 14 world and 10 European women’s trial titles, 7 in the Trial of Nations, 11 victories in the Dakar Rally Women’s Motorcycle Trophy, 6 women’s enduro world championships… The Spanish rider has managed to finish each and every one of the editions of the Dakar she has competed in: 12 on a motorbike and two in a car. |
Michรจle Mouton | A true pioneer in motorsport and a still active member of FIA, as a safety delegate. She was a French former rally driver. Competing in the World Rally Championship for the Audi factory team, she took four victories and finished runner-up in the drivers’ world championship in 1982. She became the first president of the FIA’s Women & Motor Sport Commission in 2010 and the FIA’s manager in the World Rally Championship in 2011. |
Mikaela ร hlin-Kottulinsky | A Swedish racing driver currently competing in the Extreme E Championship for Rosberg X Racing, ambassador of Girls on track project, strongly involved in promotion of motorsports and empowering women. |
Natalie Robyn | CEO at the FIA. She has more than 15 years of experience in the automotive industry, previously serving as the CEO of Volvo in Switzerland since 2017, as well has holding management positions at Nissan and DaimlerChrysler. She is involved in Gender Equality. |
Olabisi Boyle | VP Product Planning and Mobility Strategy, Hyundai North America. She consistently communicates Hyundaiโs product strategies with an eye toward inclusivity. Sheโs gracious and accessible, always willing to talk with the media. |
Rosemary Smith | Rosemary Smith, an Irish Motorsport legend has had an incredible career in motorsport. She competed in eight Monte Carlo rallies and finished some of the most arduous long-distance events โ the London to Sydney rally (1968) and the 1970 London to Mexico rally. At the age of 79 she became the oldest person ever to drive a Formula 1 car. |
Stefanie Wurst | Head of the MINI brand at BMW Group and former Managing Director of BMW Netherlands. She improved the car’s green footprint and opening doors for disabled drivers by new technologies. |
Suzie Wolff | MD F1 Academy. As a former race driver and the MD of F1 Academy, Susie is instrumental in putting women on the world motorsport stage and is committed to finding equality and equity in the world of Formula 1 and motorsport in general. |
Tatjana Bister | General Manager BMW World. In 2021 she took over as head of the BMW Group’s international experience and delivery centre. After five years as head of the BMW Group retail outlet in Vienna she moved to Munich and the BMW Welt, Bavaria’s most popular tourist attraction. Before joining the BMW Group in 2016, she held various international management positions. |
Teiko Kudo | She joined Sumitomo Mitsui Bank in 1987 and remains an Executive Officer. In 2018 she joined the Board of Directors for Toyota Motor Corporation. She is on a board of a company with a very masculine culture. |
This year, the WOW acknowledges the late Sue Baker as one of our founding judges.ย Her insights, her wisdom and her knowledge during her time on our jury were greatly appreciated.ย She was perhaps best known for her work as a presenter on BBC’s Top Gear, appearing in more than 100 episodes.ย She also contributed to a wide range of publications and outlets and was the first woman to chair the UK Guild of Motoring Writers.ย She died in November 2022.