Step Into Power ft. Marley Devergilio of AWAF

[00:00:00] Now in the middle of one of the most significant eras in automotive, Carl Anthony amplifies the minds and voices behind this historic transformation as the host of AutoVision News Radio.

[00:00:10] Mic check one two.

[00:00:11] All while coming to terms with middle age, father loss, and what it means to be successful in Detroit.

[00:00:16] Through mentorship, professional development, collaborative events, and scholarships, the Automotive Women's Alliance Foundation strives to advance the career of every woman in the automotive and mobility industries.

[00:00:29] Often written as AWAF for short, the Automotive Women's Alliance Foundation has awarded academic scholarships to over 250 women, totaling almost $650,000 as of late 2024.

[00:00:44] Quoting AWAF, it is our hope these scholarships can lessen the burden on students and allow them to focus on gaining knowledge toward a solid career path in this ever-evolving expansion of global mobility.

[00:00:57] The latest scholarship recipients were welcomed as part of the annual AWAF Step Into Power event, held in late October 2024.

[00:01:06] The evening featured a keynote Q&A presentation from Aruna Anand, President and Chief Executive Officer for Continental Automotive North America.

[00:01:15] During the event, I had the opportunity to talk with Marley Devergilio, Membership Board Chair for AWAF.

[00:01:22] In addition to her work with AWAF, Marley serves as the key account manager at AVL Mobility Technologies, a premier global engineering consulting firm dedicated to empowering OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers.

[00:01:37] In North America, AVL specializes in three disciplines, engineering services, instrumentation and test systems, and advanced simulation technologies.

[00:01:46] Marley is in sales for the engineering services division, which focuses on the design and development of internal combustion engines, hybrid electric vehicles, battery electric vehicles, and fuel cell electric vehicles.

[00:02:00] Marley holds an entrepreneurship and professional sales degree and an MBA in value-driven organization from Central Michigan University.

[00:02:08] By leveraging AVL's global technical and engineering centers, Marley ensures that AVL delivers cutting-edge solutions to its clients.

[00:02:17] In addition to AVL, Marley has been an AWAF member for eight years, the last three of which she has served on the board.

[00:02:26] Moving at the speed of mobility, this is AutoVision News Radio with Carl Anthony in Detroit, Michigan.

[00:02:31] So, Automotive Women's Alliance Foundation is a nonprofit that's geared towards helping women in the automotive industry to thrive and to reach their highest potential.

[00:02:41] And we're able to do that by offering different events throughout the year, different professional development opportunities, different coaching opportunities, mentorship opportunities,

[00:02:51] different ways for all the people in automotive to grow and to be able to get to the next level that they want to in their career.

[00:03:00] Or just to be able to have strong, meaningful relationships with the people in the industry and be able to just have a really strong sense of warmth and connection with those people in the industry.

[00:03:12] What was it that drew you to AWAF?

[00:03:15] You said you've been a member now for eight years.

[00:03:17] What drew you originally to AWAF?

[00:03:19] Yeah, so when you think about the automotive industry, there's a big world out there.

[00:03:25] But there's also a small world out there.

[00:03:27] And being able to find the small world and all the people and all the different connections that you can really be able to have with you throughout your career, that's really important.

[00:03:38] So for me, I wanted to make sure that I was able to find people to have meaningful relationships with and build my network with and build my connections with.

[00:03:48] And just being able to look at different industries and find what's so good about automotive.

[00:03:55] So it goes to show that we are in the right industry.

[00:03:58] And for that reason, I wanted to make sure to be able to be a part of being on the Automotive Women's Alliance Foundation board of directors.

[00:04:06] As membership board chair for AWAF, Marley is responsible for member recruitment and retention, planning membership events, engaging member satisfaction through surveys.

[00:04:18] AWAF has reached an all-time high of 325 members at the time of this broadcast.

[00:04:25] Future goals are being assessed to ensure the continued health and growth of AWAF while maintaining the heart and soul of the organization.

[00:04:34] What we do is we focus on making sure we have members that, you know, want to keep coming back.

[00:04:41] We make sure that we retain the members.

[00:04:42] We make sure that we can get new members.

[00:04:45] And what we do with that is we're able to continuously keep the Automotive Women's Alliance Foundation going strong and continue the progression of women in automotive.

[00:04:57] When you talk to Marley about AWAF, she will likely use the phrase bridging the gap.

[00:05:03] She describes herself as a person who's passionate about helping others do this very thing, bridge the gap.

[00:05:09] That might come in the form of Marley encouraging another person to advocate for themselves by being confident to do so,

[00:05:16] or by helping that person make a meaningful connection or introduction.

[00:05:20] If you ask Marley, she will tell you that we are all in this together,

[00:05:24] and we should continually strive to improve and enhance this industry in which we make our living.

[00:05:30] Marley will also cite research that underscores the importance of diversity,

[00:05:35] in particular the work of Dr. Juliet Burke, author of Which Two Heads Are Better Than One?

[00:05:41] The Extraordinary Power of Diversity of Thinking and Inclusive Leadership.

[00:05:46] Dr. Burke once led Deloitte Australia's diversity and inclusion consulting practice,

[00:05:52] and is a former employment lawyer, in addition to being an entrepreneur and a professor.

[00:05:57] While a partner in Deloitte, Dr. Burke penned The Diversity and Inclusion Revolution,

[00:06:03] Eight Powerful Truths. Link in the show notes.

[00:06:05] In that piece, Dr. Burke notes that organizational diversity can boost innovation by 20%

[00:06:11] and enhance problem-solving capabilities, reducing risk by as much as 30%.

[00:06:17] Marley combines data points like this with her belief in the mission of AWAF.

[00:06:23] It's really important to make sure that we are advocating for women in the automotive and mobility industries

[00:06:29] because what we see is that there is still a gap in the industry between everyone in the industry,

[00:06:38] and it's nice to be able to help to bridge that gap, help people get to the next level.

[00:06:43] If there's any ceilings, making sure that we can alleviate any of the issues that could help them to get to the next level.

[00:06:52] And we do it so that they feel that they have a strong and meaningful sense of community, but also self-worth as well.

[00:07:01] At the AWAF Step Into Power event, Aruna Anand, President and Chief Executive Officer for Continental Automotive North America,

[00:07:10] shared her story during a Q&A session.

[00:07:13] Aruna spoke about how her parents in India saved in earnest for a plane ticket to the United States.

[00:07:19] Aruna recalled the challenges of adjusting to a different culture and previous roles in the automotive industry,

[00:07:26] which she defined as turning points in her career.

[00:07:29] Aruna started at Continental in 1997 while studying for a Master's in Computer Science and Engineering.

[00:07:36] Today, she is an award-winning executive and diversity champion.

[00:07:40] She has held numerous leadership positions within Continental,

[00:07:44] most recently leading a business unit that offers comprehensive engineering services.

[00:07:50] Aruna encouraged attendees of the Step Into Power event to find a support system

[00:07:55] and to never underestimate the power of mentorship.

[00:07:59] For younger women who are interested in automotive but may be unsure if it's the right career field,

[00:08:06] Marley suggests identifying three key variables.

[00:08:10] Knowing and examining and understanding these variables will help younger women make the right decision.

[00:08:17] If you're on the fence about if you want to get into automotive,

[00:08:20] to talk to others that are in the industry and figure out what is it that they like about it

[00:08:26] and then be able to see if that's something that sounds viable to you.

[00:08:30] And I would also say just being able to kind of figure out what are the key areas

[00:08:35] that you want to make sure that you get out of your career.

[00:08:38] I actually had someone that told me a few years ago,

[00:08:42] what are the three most important things that you want out of your career?

[00:08:46] And I would say it really depends on the part that you are in your career.

[00:08:50] But in general, the three things are people, title, and money.

[00:08:55] And if you figure it out, I would say, you know, for me personally, earlier on in my career,

[00:09:00] I would say I was okay, you know, where I was, but I wanted a title.

[00:09:06] I wanted the title because, you know, you want to be able to get that.

[00:09:09] And then as you transition through, especially with the market nowadays,

[00:09:13] I would say money is a big factor.

[00:09:15] But then there's other factors of people too, you know.

[00:09:18] So I think it's just being able to try to find the balance where you can have all three

[00:09:21] and you can be satisfied with what level that is, but it really just varies.

[00:09:26] And I know there's a lot of other variables as well,

[00:09:28] but I would say just making sure that, you know,

[00:09:31] women that are trying to get into this industry can focus on trying to find a few key variables

[00:09:36] that can help them to figure out what they need to be able to transition into this type of industry.

[00:09:42] As the Step Into Power event came to a close,

[00:09:46] Aruna was asked what advice she would give her younger self.

[00:09:50] She wished that she would have spent more time enjoying the journey along the way.

[00:09:56] Aruna also reminded us that if we do our best, the rest will take care of itself.

[00:10:02] In general, it's good just to make sure that you're happy with whatever you're doing

[00:10:06] and, you know, just make sure that you can find the ways that can make you happy.

[00:10:11] If that's through your career, just figuring out what is it that makes you happy in that.

[00:10:17] And if there's anything that you need to change, then take the steps and make the change.

[00:10:21] And if you need to talk to someone about it, there's always people that want to hear what you have to say.

[00:10:26] So you just have to make sure that you can put yourself out there and be an advocate for yourself.

[00:10:31] Be the strongest advocate for yourself because at the end of the day,

[00:10:35] ourselves are going to be what helps us to drive the needle.

[00:10:39] And we need to make sure that we continue to keep advocating for ourselves.

[00:10:43] See the links in the show notes to learn more about the Automotive Women's Alliance Foundation

[00:10:47] and the work of Dr. Juliet Burke.

[00:10:50] AutoVision News Radio is available on the digital antennas of Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Podbean, and more.

[00:10:57] In Detroit, alongside Marlee DiVergilio, I'm Carl Anthony, AutoVision News Radio.