Photo by Zemo Partnership
We’ve all seen them. Conference panels made up entirely – or almost entirely – of men. And indeed, I still find myself either the only woman on a panel, or at an industry roundtable event, or as the female host of an all-male webinar.
But there are brilliant women working right across EV, energy and clean transport. Engineers, fleet specialists, charging experts, energy professionals, policymakers, founders and business leaders. Women with decades of experience, alongside women bringing new perspectives into what is still a relatively young and rapidly evolving industry. The talent is there. The challenge is making it visible.
And that’s exactly why we created the Global Women in EV Speaker Directory.
Visibility creates opportunity
The Directory is a free resource from Global Women in EV Day®, designed to help conference organisers, event producers, journalists, podcast hosts and industry leaders identify and connect with women working across our sector. The First Edition features more than 50 women, covering an impressive breadth of expertise across EV, energy and clean transport.
Importantly, it’s already doing what we created it to do: connecting talented women with opportunities to speak, contribute and be heard. The Directory is being used to source contributors for conferences, industry reports, media interviews, podcasts and more.
Why does that matter? Because visibility creates opportunity. Being invited onto a panel can lead to another speaking opportunity. Being interviewed for an article builds profile and credibility. Appearing on a podcast introduces someone’s expertise to a completely new audience. And seeing women recognised as experts and leaders provides visible role models for others considering, or building, careers in our industry.
But there’s a bigger picture too. Greater visibility creates greater opportunity; opportunity helps us build more diverse teams; and diverse teams bring different experiences, perspectives and ideas to the table. That can lead to better decision-making, better businesses and better products and services – and ultimately, better outcomes for the EV drivers and customers our industry exists to serve.
That’s particularly important in electric mobility. If we want millions more people to make the transition to electric, the industry designing the vehicles, charging infrastructure, services and customer experiences needs to understand the breadth of people who will use them. Afterall, 49% of all driving licence holders in the UK are women. Representation isn’t separate from the success of the EV transition; it can help us deliver it better.
Making it easier to find diverse voices
The Speaker Directory is about making sure we’re drawing on the breadth of talent, experience and perspectives that already exist across our industry – and removing one of the barriers that can prevent that expertise from being seen.
It’s also about removing an excuse. If you’re organising an event and want a more representative panel, we can help you find the people. If you’re producing a podcast and looking for a fresh expert voice, they’re here. And if you’re writing an industry report or looking for commentators, the Directory can help with that too.
The Global Women in EV Speaker Directory is completely free to request and use.
Now we want to hear from more women
We’re already building the Second Edition, and we’d love to make it even bigger and broader.
If you’re a woman working across EV, energy or clean transport, we’d love you to add your voice. And importantly, you don’t have to be an experienced conference speaker. Part of the purpose of the Directory is to create opportunities for women who may have valuable expertise and experience but haven’t previously been given the platform to share it.
And if you’re reading this thinking of a brilliant woman who really ought to be included, tell her. Encourage her to put herself forward. Sometimes that small nudge from somebody else is all it takes.
Global Women in EV Day® is about creating greater visibility, opportunity and representation for women across our industry. The Speaker Directory is one very practical way we’re turning that ambition into action – helping ensure that when somebody asks, “Where are the women?”, there’s an increasingly simple answer.
Request the Directory or add your voice
Whether you’re looking for an expert for your next event, podcast, article or report – or you’re a woman who would like to be considered for future opportunities – we’d love to hear from you.
Request the Global Women in EV Speaker Directory or join the Second Edition
No more “we couldn’t find any women speakers”. We’re right here.
About the author
Gill Nowell is founder of Global Women in EV Day® and Hosted by Gill®, co-creator of The 49 Collective and a co-founding Director of EVA England. An award-winning presenter, moderator and communicator, she has spent almost 15 years working in electric mobility and has been driving electric since 2012. Gill is passionate about connecting people, ideas and opportunities, amplifying diverse voices and helping create a cleaner, fairer and more inclusive transport future.
