Women in Auto Care will present the 2017 Auto Care Woman of Excellence Award on Oct. 31 during the Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX) in Las Vegas. This year’s winner is Jill Trotta, director of the automotive group at RepairPal. As a 25-year veteran of the industry, she knows how hard — and how rewarding — her work overseeing the certification process at RepairPal can be.
“It’s a tough business, and I’ve been fortunate enough to be surrounded by the best of the best,” Jill said. She goes on to praise outstanding peers, “…people like Amy Mattinatt, Bogi Lateiner, William Nulu, Frank Butkus-Lutz, Judy Zimmerman, Rick Seneris and over 2000 other shop owners who make up our network. They keep me going and working to build bridges between consumers and shop owners. These are people who’ve dedicated themselves to doing it right.”
Women in Auto Care (formerly the Car Care Council Women’s Board) annually honors deserving women in the industry with three Women of the Year Awards: Auto Care Woman of the Year, Female Shop Owner of the Year, and Auto Care Woman of Excellence. This is a prestigious award in the automotive industry, awarded to those who show not only excellence in their field but also exhibit a dedication to supporting diversity in the industry.
Car makers and auto repair and maintenance shops are increasingly recruiting female employees. This comes on the heels of a study from Frost & Sullivan showing women influence 80% of car-buying decisions. And having an all-male staff makes it harder to anticipate and meet the needs of this influential demographic.
According to her colleagues at RepairPal, Trotta leads the way in showing how women contribute to the quality, approachability, and transparency of the industry.
