We Are Power Podcast
The We Are Power podcast is for your career and your life, no matter what business you're in. A weekly leadership and careers podcast with listeners in over 60 countries worldwide. Each week the We Are Power Podcast will bring you a new interview from a leader within the 95,000-strong We Are Power community. You'll hear personal life stories, top-notch industry advice, and key leadership insight from amazing female role models. Podcast produced by What Goes On Media and hosted by Simone Roche MBE. Find out more at: https://whatgoesonmedia.com/
We Are Power Podcast
Putting Women at the Wheel of a Male-Dominated Industry with Nicola Johnson
Join us as we chat with Nicola Johnson, Director of the HR Centre of Excellence at Bentley , as she opens up about balancing a high-powered career and being a mum.
From her return to work after maternity leave to the thrill of driving a Continental GT Speed at Silverstone, Nicola's stories are all about breaking boundaries.
And find out about Nicola's role models, like Michelle Obama and Katie Piper, and key figures in the automotive world who have paved the way.
Listen to learn:
🎙️the importance of authenticity
🎙️how to address subconscious biases
🎙️the impact of strong female role models
🎙️how Bentley creates a inclusive workplace culture
You can now nominate for the 2025 Northern Power Women Awards to be in with a chance of celebrating with changemakers, trailblazers and advocates on 6th March 2025! Nominate now at wearepower.net
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Hello, hello and welcome to the we Are Power podcast Northern Power Women podcast for your career and your life, no matter what business you're in. Hello, hello and welcome to the we Are Power podcast. This is a podcast that is all about me chatting fantastic role models, quite frankly, hearing their stories, hearing what adventures they've been on and hopefully bringing you some top tips, strategies that you can take on in to help you navigate, whether it's your career, your life, whatever path you're on at this current moment. That's what we want to do with our weekly podcast and this week I'm really excited to welcome Nick Johnson, who is the Innovative People Director at Bentley, which is an amazing luxury motor automated country based here in the north of England, who were our 2024 Northern Power Awards Future List sponsor. Nick, welcome to the podcast. How are you?
Speaker 2:Thank you, simone. It's great to be here. I'm fantastic, I'm really excited, thank you.
Speaker 1:Oh, and it was quite a few weeks ago to be on site at Bentley HQ holding our Future List virtual event as well, having a good chat and a great panel on site as well. So thank you so much for hosting that. Please do catch up on that as well. Nick, tell us about how you sort of found yourself working here at Bentley. How did you get into the automotive industry Obviously a very male-dominated industry, yeah, yeah for sure.
Speaker 2:So I started my career at Ford Motor Company. I was an HR coordinator. I'd followed in my father's footsteps. So he is a real lover of cars and taking a huge interest in and so do I. I actually designed my first car at school, but then moved more into the business arena Once I'd graduated from university. I had job offers from both Ford and Bentley, but of course there was no question for me. I'd wanted to join a true British luxury brand at that time and I wasn't actually that keen to work in Dagenham. But that was the other kind of comparator and so, yeah, I wanted to, I guess, live in the north. I'd done the London thing, I'd done the south, and but my heart was in the north. So my career at Bentley began and that was the beginning for me.
Speaker 1:You have to literally tell me you designed a car in school.
Speaker 2:I did. Yeah, it was called the Mayora, which is Spanish for improvement. Yeah, it was blue and it was in kind of the graphic design course. So that was it. Although I'm not sure I was that strong on design. I was more kind of business orientated. So, yeah, hr was was chosen after my business management degree and what are the challenges that you have faced?
Speaker 1:you know we talked about this being a male dominated industry, but how did you kind of overcome any of those challenges, that sort of stepped in front of you on the on your way?
Speaker 2:yeah, really interesting question. Um. If I think back to um my early years, I guess I was often the only woman um in a room full of men and I remember um overcompensating, trying to be um more masculine, more male in my approach and and that worked okay, but actually I felt like I wasn't um, I wasn't being me, and it took me a few years to realize that the more effective thing is to be confident and be you and really bring yourself and be confident in the value that you add to an individual. So that's the approach that I take now. I guess I had a little think as well. There's a couple of other areas. Really, working internationally in my career, I found that some countries in europe have got less of an advanced approach to women in the career, um, in their careers and workplace um. So I've continued to challenge and call out any kind of subconscious biases, because often people don't even realize some of the comments. You know, are you making the tea? Um, what time do you call this? They don't realize that it has an impact. And if you do call out these biases you know people referring to girls then they realise and realise the impact that they're having. So that's really important for me to call out. And then the final area.
Speaker 2:I think I wouldn't be able to talk about challenges without mentioning being a mum. So I'm a mum of three and for me it's been quite challenging having young children at the same time as leading a senior role. However, I'm extremely lucky. I've got children between the ages of two and twelve and I've got a really supportive company. So I do work flexibly and I have a flexible work contract, although I work full-time hours. I've got a great team who are fully empowered and on a Monday when I'm not in the office, they are absolutely, you know, there and leading the way. And, of course, I'm always contactable and I'm flexible. But it works for me that I can spend the time that I need to with my, with my young son, also heavily involved with our Be Inspired network as well, which has helped both me and others, I guess, overcoming some of those challenges of being a female and you talk about that flexibility.
Speaker 1:I think that's things that are so massively important to help you kind of navigate the industry you're in, and you've talked about being part of Be Inspired. What other sort of support did you have along the way? Have you really gained from having a mentor?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I've actually hugely benefited from mentors and coaches and through my career. So in my early years I had Christine Gaskell was our HR board member and I learned a huge amount from her. I've had various mentors, both male and female. Now I have a senior male colleague in work and I guess every day is a school day, so I'm still learning. He's had a real global career and just helps me navigate in terms of stakeholder management and some of the things that he's picked up in his career across the group.
Speaker 2:I think mentoring I think is super important, but also coaching, because often we all have the answers within us and it's just about having someone help us unlock them. So coaching has been massive for me, either just with internal coaches or coaches externally to really break down personal barriers and overcome your own personal challenges. I think that's super important. But now I'm also a trained coach and I'm a mentor to others because I've had a massive amount of support through my career from many of my leaders, many inspiring women that I've worked with, but also mentors and coaches that have really pushed me, and so, yeah, I'm trying to kind of give that back and help other people now with their careers people now with their careers.
Speaker 1:And what motivated you Because I think that's, I really believe in that sort of circular, if you like the circularity pretty certain I'm making words up now circularity of mentoring. You know that if you've gained that is important to give back. What motivated you to go and get that sort of qualification so you could pay it forward.
Speaker 2:I think it probably took me until I was in my late 30s, early 40s, to get to a position where I felt confident to talk about being a mum and being a leader and putting my own wellbeing at equal priority to work and children. And I've only learned all of those techniques and values and ways of working from, I guess, looking at what other people do so, learning from a network of mums and professionals and other people that are struggling and have put in little systems and things in place. I've done a lot of reading as well around it in as well around it and, yeah, I wanted for people to, I guess, see the light in their 20s or early 30s rather than, yeah, it taking me so long into my late, late 30s and early 40s.
Speaker 1:I think it's never too early to get a mentor. I don't think it's ever too early and, like you talked about coaching, talk about sponsorships different forms aren't there so I think that earlier you can get there. There's always someone who can help, even if it's no-transcript.
Speaker 2:It is really important and it's also two way as well. So I have a reverse mentoring system with one of the younger colleagues in our team and he's really helping me to think about things differently as well.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, of what kind of mentoring that we're enabling. It's always that two-way. It's always like, oh my goodness, I'm going to take that back into my organisation or into my own home life. Whatever it may be, I'm going to take that learning on board myself. Have you seen change across the industry and the approach to gender diversity since you sort of jumped into, since you well beyond building your first car, of course?
Speaker 2:I think I have, yeah, seen seen change, particularly in the last five years. Um. So for me, the importance of um having diverse teams and the benefits of collective iq and diversity of thought they are um really appreciated and realized and recognized. Um. One of the most influential books that I've read around this topic was Rebel Ideas by Matthew Saeed, and it was such a compelling read around the value and the benefits of diversity that we actually brought Matthew in to speak with our senior leaders and he presented some of his stories to them and it was really evidence and proof points of why it's so important and what you can lose out on if you don't have a diverse team. We're going to be sharing these principles with all of our leaders but, yeah, things like that, using evidence um, you can really develop a common language and understanding and certainly within Bentley we have that.
Speaker 2:But I see that across across automotive um. So I was recently on a panel debate with um AutoCar Great Women, um awards and plus we're part of Julian Muir's 30% Club and you see, through these forums, a big shift that everyone is coming along on the journey around the importance of investing in female development, around general diversity, gender diversity, all the different types, storytelling initiatives, and I think everybody fully understands there's no. Why are we doing this? Everyone understands the movement we're working towards. I also see a lot of progress within the wider group. So, for example, volkswagen group, you've got opportunities to collaborate and work together on these topics through Audi, volkswagen, skoda, seat.
Speaker 1:So yeah, a huge initiative and movement within the automotive industry now, and I think that importance of that, that knowledge exchange across sort of the brands, across the subsectors, is so key, isn't there? Because there's no one size fits all solution to solving or achieving gender parity, gender equality. Everyone's doing things a different way. Think about your younger self. What can we do to encourage more younger women to pursue careers in non-traditional industries and sectors like automotive? I think?
Speaker 2:understanding the opportunities and understanding that it isn't outdated, old-fashioned, just for men. There are so many different career opportunities, so many different routes, so many different amazing things that you can do. You know, working at Bentley, we let all of our colleagues drive the products. Once a year, or certainly every other year, we have an event at Alton Park where thousands or hundreds of colleagues get to drive the product race around the racetrack. So there's huge experiences, there's global travel, there's multi-group projects, there's all sorts of things that you can get involved with, but I guess we're not quite as famous maybe some of the tech companies, but there are tech roles. There are. There are all sorts of different things that you need to have real transparency. I think seeing other role models, seeing other people and flourishing and having great careers in automotive is important and we do try and make sure we share stories of role models within the industry as well.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and you talked about Christine Gaskell before who I've kind of known for a number of years, as you know, sort of very you know a real northern power woman, if you like, and powerhouse if you like, and yourself. And you know there's so many great role models across the industry and you talked about Julia at the 30% Automotive Club which I've been part of and spoke at and things like that. But that role model can never underestimate the power of role models, can you? And again, attracting more women into the industry.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think role models are hugely important and I was thinking about this with Gemma yesterday and we had a conversation around role models. I was talking about Michelle Obama, who was a lawyer, and I said to Gemma did you know that she was Barack's boss and mentor long before they were married, long before he was the president of the USA? And Gemma was like I didn't know that. Her book is absolutely incredible and she really is an inspiring woman. But also people like Katie Piper and her approach to overcoming adversity. There's something to learn, I think, reflecting in terms of role models. Of course, we've got amazing role models in automotive as well. We had a think about that yesterday. So we've got our own. Hildegard Vortman, audi AG member of the Board for Sales and Marketing. We've also met recently Maria Grazia Davina, group MD at Stellantis, and we've got our own CIO, kirsty Bennett, ex-virgin, who also takes a leading role in our Be Inspired Network and, of course, gemma Sharp, who was listed on another Power Women future list. She's very early in her career, but lots of role models around us, and that's just to name a few, because there are so many role models in automotive to look up to.
Speaker 2:Um, this is um quite special to me in terms of role models for um, for people at work, but also for my own family. Um, my five-year-old said to me um, girls are pretty and boys are clever. And I was absolutely horrified, like where did you get that from? And said that's what everyone says at school. You know that's the way it is. And I said that isn't the way it is. Girls can do anything they want to, and we actually read um good night stories, rebel girls and I've read it with each of my daughters and it's just one page with all of these amazing, um, incredible women that have achieved so many things. So I think, in terms of role modeling, you can't start too early. It's super important. I couldn't.
Speaker 1:I couldn't agree more. I think you know you've got gender stereotypes are forming by the age of five, six. There's a brilliant video out there called redraw the balance. It's been around for years and years and it is. You've got a classroom in front of young kids, you know, six years old, and you've got three women going to the classroom and supply teachers under the guys. We're going to draw professions today and they go away and they draw.
Speaker 1:And when the three people reemerge, you know one's a fighter pilot, one's a searcher and one's a firefighter and sadly, the first thing a young little girl says is oh, it's dress-up day, you know, and it's just, we've got to smash that, haven't we? So I love the fact that you proper shouted out some of those, those names and role models and and our Gemma high five, gemma, on a future list. So it's really important, isn't it? I said it's a well-used phrase, isn't it? If you can't see it, you can't be it, but it's. It's so important and so good for you, for you changing. You can change the narrative with the storybook reading.
Speaker 2:Right, absolutely, yeah and um yeah, like my daughter is amazed by all these amazing things that that women do and of course, men can do the same but I think it's important at a young age to realize that you can do everything. You don't have to go for certain stereotypical, um careers.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I'm third time reading or listening, shall I say to the Michelle Obama book. I love, I do Audible because she narrates it and that whole it's in different sections, isn't it In the section? It was like, yeah, she was. She was really quite intolerant of Barack, actually, I think at first because he was a bit naughty. A bit naughty and late Thanks. Well, what do you think are, if you think about people returning or re-entering, if you like, into the workforce, whether it be a break or you know, sort of a significant sort of time away, what do, what can we do more of? And what does Bentley do to sort of kind of solve some of those challenges when you're coming back in? Because when you're away for a while, you know we can always talk about, oh, it's just confidence. But technology and the world of work moves so fast sometimes it's hard to kind of catch people back up. So how do you? How do you do that? How?
Speaker 2:do you support that? I think from my own experience it is really tough. I've had three, three sets of maternity leave. I'm really lucky, and I found it difficult each time to come back. I think I felt like I'd lost my network. I felt like I'd lost my kind of working knowledge.
Speaker 2:Our industry transformed so quickly um that you know, even a year um out of the workplace, out of the workplace, working at this pace makes a massive difference. And also, I just say confidence um can be a thing so, um. So I've always enjoyed keeping in touch with the company, my manager, my team and doing, you know, team events days out and things like that. I think that's helped. But also having a really supportive manager. When you get back, someone that that realizes you're going to have a bit of a ramp up, you're going to take, take some time, and we do have um mentoring which is available to everybody, and I think I would encourage anyone returning to get a mentor or a coach to help them with navigating some of those challenges.
Speaker 2:Um my third baby. When I came back from maternity leave my very first day back, I was encouraged to reconnect with our product and we were at um silverstone and I was able to drive the Continental GT speed around Silverstone as fast as I possibly could. Well, I was well back into it then. So, yeah, it was an amazing opportunity. So, I think, just to push yourself as well and do as much as I can.
Speaker 1:And well, that sounds like fun. And how do you strike that balance between maintaining the professionalism but incorporating the fun into your work and the world of work?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean, if we go in terms of Bentley, part of our culture journey is to ensure that we drive the right behaviours being more purposeful, innovative, but also making sure Bentley is an enjoyable place to work. This is really important and we spend such a lot of time at work that it would be wrong not to bring fun into the workplace. And we're so lucky. I think I've mentioned earlier that we have the opportunity for thousands of our colleagues to experience our products. We have an event at Alton Park on a regular basis and this is all about belonging at Bentley. That is's not just for customers. You can feel and really see and understand the product. We hold family events. We have free fairground rides. Which parent wouldn't want that in their lives? Where the kids can just go on anything for free?
Speaker 2:Even this week, our board members were out on the plaza celebrating the fourth generation Continental GC, and all of our team were there. We were all sitting in the sunshine and enjoying festival food on the lawn. So we really do and take a proactive approach, and it's not just about company initiatives. I think we're all responsible for bringing fun in, and so within my own team, we've got a dedicated little team that look after our social events and we bring well-being and we make sure we've all got the right balance. We have well-being checks in our team meetings as well. So, um yeah, making sure that we're all looking after each other and having, um yeah, common and common, common goals and fun as well as professionalism and it's bringing that whole self to work, isn't it?
Speaker 1:I think you talked about that earlier on. I think that is so important, nick, I don't know where the time goes, uh, these terms. Thank you so much for letting us delve into the world of automotive, into the world of working mum of three, into the world of mentoring and coaching and your top tips. Thank you so much for joining us on today's podcast and thank you for letting us come out and play. I want to get to Alton Park now. I want to be on that list next time. But thank you for letting us into your home over at Bentley as well and look forward to seeing you soon. Thank you so much, nick thanks, thanks, simone.
Speaker 1:It's great to join you today and thanks all of you for listening. I always think there's something so different we take away from every individual. Everyone comes from a different path or a different journey and nobody has that one straight line. Look at nick. She started designing her own car. The mayor I love that the spanish name, roberta it's fantastic. You never know where that's going to be. You never know what that interest is going to drive you literally drive you. There was no pun intended in that, honestly, but thank you so much for joining and we love hearing from you, so please do leave us a review and stay connected on all of our socials facebook and linkedin. We are power tiktok. Insta. Twitter. We are power underscore net. Thank you for listening. My name is simone. This is a we are power podcast on what goes on media production.
