Specialized in the
sale of exclusive vehicles
at home and abroad
Our women in the automotive business
It may come as no surprise to you, and it probably sounds familiar to you; the automotive industry is dominated by men. This is true not only for mechanics, but also for car salesmen and dealers. Research has shown that only 15% of employees in the automotive world are women. This is no different at Automotive Auctions; Bo, Henriette and Esmée work among 16 men.
Bo has been working at Automotive Auctions for over two years and has been here ever since. "I actually always wanted to start for myself. Together with my father, I was very searching. Until my brother Nino told me that he would really like it if I would come and work at Automotive Auctions. I took that chance with both hands, not knowing whether the automotive industry was really something for me. And now I'm stuck with the misery and the team is only getting crazier, haha".
Esmée hasn't been there very long. "I've been here since the end of January, so that's 6 weeks now. But fortunately, you get used to it very quickly here. I just can't imagine what it was like when Bo came to work here. Now there are so many guys working in the hall, nice and busy".
The fact that the car industry is not a woman's world attracts Bo very much, and she says she would rather work with men than with women. "I really like cars. If you look around the showroom, you see all the beautiful animals! If I had my choice now, I would prefer to have an Audi RS3 outside the door every day. But if I ever have kids, I would love to drive an Audi RS Q3, just a bit more space". Both ladies agree with this, laughing.
But even though Esmée says she really doesn't know; she is leaning towards a black Mercedes G-Class. "Nice and solid," she says.
Pierre and Nino, Bo's father and brother, are crazy about cars and started Automotive Auctions out of their passion for cars. So, you can say that Bo has been around cars from an early age. That Bo has more understanding of cars than the average woman is therefore not surprising. "But I am not a techie! I went to the IVA at the time, but I dropped out at the point that I had to lie in overalls under a car. I just had less affinity with the technical stuff. As long as it looks nice, goes fast, can accelerate nice and fast and has good brakes! I'm not averse to a little acceleration either. But in the two years and three months that I have been working here, I have never had a traffic ticket.
The IVA Business School is a school where they offer courses such as Automotive Business Management, Nautical Business Management and Innovation Business Management, among others. A course of study that each fits in well with Automotive Auctions.
Henriette, mother of Bo, is not averse to cars either. Whether it's a luxury Porsche or John Travolta's vintage car, nothing is too crazy for her. "I really enjoy working with all these young people. Looking at this family business, I am super proud that Pierre and Nino started this and that Bo joined. When I look at this men's industry, Bo fits in very well. Someone who is structured, accommodating and a little bit strict and therefore unique, makes this company a success. A woman takes other things into account which is really necessary".
Bo and Esmée also noticed that it is mainly the men who come into the showroom. "On a viewing day I think it is 90% men and the other 10% are women who come with their husbands. We rarely see a woman walk in here alone".
As a result, Automotive Auctions' car buying customers are almost all men. "I think 1% of the buyers here are women. The funny thing is; when customers call, they often think I'm the secretary. If they have a question, they sometimes ask for someone who 'knows more about cars'. Then I always love the moment that I can answer the question myself. They don't expect that. Oh, and they always call me 'Mr. Hermans' in the mail. Bo can laugh about it and indicates that he does not find it a problem.
The ladies find working with almost exclusively men very enjoyable, but they also say that it is sometimes nice to be able to vent your frustrations about that broken nail or that ladder in your pantyhose. They don't miss the female aspects in this man's world. They seem to get along just fine with only men around them. But the two Hermans, Bo and Henriette, think it's great that Esmée is there now.
Esmée shares this opinion. "I now know two extremes. I had the opportunity to do a six-month internship in a real women's world, in a women's office. And now I'm here. And I did get a strong preference for the men's office". So, for the diversity of the company, they do like to have a few women among the many men.
Research has shown that only 15% of employees in the automotive industry are women. The answers to the question of whether this percentage will change soon are on par. The ladies at Automotive Auctions indicate that they think this difference will remain as large, but women will start to have higher positions in the automotive industry. The position of mechanic will, according to the three, for the most part be filled by a man.
In short, they say that the car industry is a man's world in which more and more women occupy top positions. What Bo likes about this industry is the fat cars they get here. "And working in a man's world is fun because you just get that bland humor and sociability from the guys. You have very different conversations. There's no getting around the fact that working in a man's world is heartwarming. A women's night is very different from a men's night, right!".
