AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -

Nine of the automotive industry’s most successful female executives were honored this month by women’s leadership organization Inforum at an event held at the Walter P. Chrysler Museum in Auburn Hills, Mich.

Included in the group of the honorees were executives with Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Toyota and a Michigan dealership group, among others.

Inforum is one of the largest business forums for women in the nation, with more than 2,000 members representing a cross-section of Michigan’s business community.

The event was part of Inforum’s Inner Circle series, which organization president and chief executive officer Terry Barclay said, “honors women of achievement and helps future leaders build relationships that will enhance their professional growth through one-on-one networking with accomplished women leaders."

Barclay added: “This unique networking opportunity is critically important in giving women in Michigan the career boost they need."

The honorees, in alphabetical order, were:

Shari Burgess, vice president and treasurer, Lear Corp.
Brandy Goolsby, global electrified planning/strategy analyst, Ford
Kelley LaFontaine, business –to-business development manager, LaFontaine Automotive Group
Barb Pilarski, vice president, business development, Chrysler
Nancy Rae, senior vice president, human resources, Chrysler
Christina Selter, CEO, Her Highway
Kristen Siemen, executive director global functional leader – global electrical systems, General Motors
Melissa Spaid, general manager, Toyota Technical Center
Estella Woo, business development, diesel systems division, Robert Bosch LLC.

One of the honorees, Chrysler’s Rae, had this to say: "Chrysler Group is actively seeking the talented, diverse people we need to compete today and in the future. Talented women need to hear and understand that there are viable paths to career achievement, and that the automotive industry is an outstanding career destination for them.”

Added fellow honoree and Chrysler executive Pilarski: “We applaud Inforum for creating the platform for aspiring women business leaders to gain the knowledge and insight they’ll need to succeed and grow. This was a unique opportunity to share my career experiences and to also learn from the talented women who participated in this event.”