Laurence Noël – Executive Vice President, Head of Automotive at Capgemini, and Board Member at Bcomp and Qinomic

Laurence Noël is a distinguished leader in the automotive industry, with over 25 years of experience driving innovation, transformation, and sustainability. She is currently Executive Vice President, Head of Automotive at Capgemini, and serves as a Board Member at Bcomp, a cleantech company pioneering lightweight natural fibre-based reinforcement technologies, and Qinomic, which develops retrofitting solutions to convert internal vehicle combustion engines into electric powertrains.

Before joining Capgemini, Laurence spent over 25 years at PSA Group and Stellantis, where she held senior roles across Research & Development, Corporate Planning, Business Development, and Business Leadership, leading business units across Asia and globally from Europe. At Stellantis, she spearheaded the creation of the Circular Economy Business Unit, establishing a groundbreaking business model focused on sustainability and resource efficiency.

Laurence is deeply passionate about business transformation, sustainability, emerging technologies, and the future of mobility. She is a strong advocate for empowering individuals and fostering inclusive environments where innovation can thrive.

Her contributions to the industry have been recognised and honoured, and in 2018, she was awarded the prestigious title of Knight of the Legion of Honour, conferred by Louis Gallois.

In this episode, Anna and Laurence explored what it takes to stay competitive and innovative in a landscape where traditional advantages are no longer enough. They discussed the changing competitive dynamics, supply chain volatility, circular economy, and automotive talent.

In this episode of Ways Women Lead, we explore transformational leadership with Monika Maurer, an accomplished executive with over 25 years in telecommunications, technology, and manufacturing. Monika shares insights from her experience as Nokia's COO and CEO of Radio Frequency Systems, where she led complex business transformations during periods of industry disruption.

With senior leadership roles at Nokia, RFS, Alcatel-Lucent, and board positions at Valmet and Atos, Monika brings a valuable perspective on organisational resilience and future-proofing strategies. Starting in R&D at Alcatel after studying physics and chemistry, she rose to leadership positions managing global operations, supply chains, and digital transformation initiatives.

As industries face disruptive competition, emerging technologies, and geopolitical challenges, Monika's expertise in navigating transformational change offers timely wisdom for today's business leaders.

In this episode, we explore the importance of customer-centricity in the automotive supplier industry with Melanie Schuttenberg, Vice President of Business Development Europe and Managing Director Germany at Flex Automotive. Melanie shares insights and advice from her career on building strong customer relationships, anticipating changing customer needs, fostering a customer-centric mindset across all teams—not just sales—and leading teams towards success in the automotive supplier industry.

Melanie has been working within the automotive industry for nearly 20 years. She has progressed through roles of increasing responsibility, gaining experience at leading global organisations such as TRW, Magna, and most recently Flex, which she joined in 2015. She is also an Advisory Board Member at TAJCO, a leading supplier of premium exterior trim solutions for the global automotive industry.

Micha Goebig is the founder and CEO of GO BIG Coaching &Communications, executive coach and strategist. Micha is a multi-certified coach, bilingual keynote speaker and published author. She serves on the Forbes Coaches Council, the Advisory Board of Wonder Women Tech, and the speaker team of TEDxSeattle. She also collaborates frequently with Women Automotive Network where she interviews female leaders and emcees online and in-person events. Drawing on more than two decades of expertise within the sector, Micha has run hundreds of workshops, primarily on topics of cultural fluency and the empowerment of women in male-dominated work environments. She is known for her signature coaching program, in which participants learn to build consistent confidence, greater visibility, and effective self-advocating strategies.

Join us in this enlightening episode where we delve into how women can enhance their leadership skills and discover empowerment through solidarity. Anna and Micha also discuss the differences between coaching and mentoring, and share tips on how to maximize the benefits of your sessions. Tune in to discover more.

Maria is a Senior Executive with over 15 years of experience leading high-performing teams in product, technology, UX design, and data science/analytics. Currently a Senior Vice President of Software Product Management at Stellantis, a global automotive company known for producing car brands such as Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Citroën, Fiat, Jeep®, Maserati, among others. Maria focuses on building the future of Mobility Tech within the organisation.

Maria’s team oversees off- and onboard software experiences, collaborating with a 2000+ strong engineering team. Prior to her current role, during her 8 years with Amazon, Maria served as Head of Product/CPO for Amazon Regional Tools, Amazon Fashion, and most recently, Amazon International Expansions. She successfully built high-performing, multi-layered, multi-functional teams (50+) across various locations, comprising Product managers, engineers, designers, business developers, and analysts.

After her tenure at Amazon, she joined Kiwi.com as a VP of Product, contributing to the disruption of the online travel booking industry. Maria has built her career on a profound understanding of how technology and innovative products can transform the lives of customers and enterprises. She is passionate about people development, personal growth, diversity, and inclusion. As an Amazon bar raiser, Maria interviewed hundreds of candidates and played a pivotal role in establishing improved processes for hiring and cultivating PM talent.

Rachael Haywood is a seasoned R&D Executive and Consultant, who brings a wealth of experience in leading Life Science and Healthcare transformation. Her career journey includes significant roles such as Strategy & Operational Excellence at Abbott, Chief of Staff & Head of R&D Operations at Bayer, and Head of R&D Huntsman and various leadership positions in companies like Reckitt Benckiser and Kimberly Clark. She holds a Ph.D. in Polymer Chemistry from Lancaster University and a Change Management Certification from Hult Ashridge and Strategic Growth from Columbia Business School.

Join us in this insightful episode as we delve into the multifaceted journey of leadership with Rachael, who shares her experiences transitioning from academia to the corporate world. From the evolution of leadership styles, balancing empathy with action-oriented approaches, to the lessons learned from influential mentors, we explore the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, discussing impactful projects, training strategies, and the role of senior managers in fostering an inclusive workplace culture. Tune in to discover the keys to effective leadership in today's dynamic environment.

Laurence Noël is a distinguished leader with an impressive 27-year career in the automotive industry. Having worked for Stellantis and the PSA Group before its merger with Fiat Chrysler, Laurence has held various key positions, including Research & Development, Corporate Planning, General Management, and Business Development. She has led business units across Asia and worldwide from Europe.Throughout her career, Laurence has been at the forefront of implementing new businesses and driving transformative initiatives. She started as an engineer at the PSA Group and has since traversed a diverse professional journey, managing development projects, engaging in strategic planning, overseeing manufacturing and sales, and even spearheading the establishment of a groundbreaking circular economy business model in her most recent role as a Senior Vice President of the Business Unit at Stellantis.Passionate about business, sustainability, technologies, and the automotive sector, Laurence is a firm believer in empowering others and creating a supportive environment for individuals to thrive.Laurence's contributions have been recognized and honored in 2018, when she was bestowed the prestigious title of Knight of the Legion of Honor, conferred by Louis Gallois.