Her Story
About Claudette
I started my career over 20 years ago as an intern right out of undergrad at Wayne State University, where I earned my bachelor's degree in marketing. I began at Daimler Chrysler, which is now Stellantis, and was hired in directly after my internship. During my 15 years at Stellantis, I progressed through various roles from customer relations to the engineering organization, then to portfolio and product planning. I later moved to an OEM tier supplier, transitioning from the vehicle production side to the component side where I worked in sales planning. In that role, I was a power user of the data that I now sell to my clients. Currently, as a Senior Account Executive for Plan and Build for the automotive and mobility sector with S&P Global Mobility, I serve as a trusted advisor to senior executives and C-suite leaders across OEMs, tier suppliers, and other players in the automotive and mobility ecosystem. I manage over 100 accounts and work with organizations in sales planning, portfolio planning, and strategic planning. My approach is consultative sales, where I walk clients through how our data can help them connect the dots for revenue planning, strategic planning, and mitigating risks throughout the entire ecosystem, from forecasting solutions to shelf solutions. I also sell consulting advisory services.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Claudette
01What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've ever received is not waiting for permission or validation from anyone. If you want something, go out and get it. Don't wait for validation or permission. This advice has really shaped how I approach my career and has empowered me to take initiative and pursue opportunities without hesitation.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Show up. You need to show up and represent yourself. When you show up, you get visibility and people recognize you. For example, in the AWAF, we have a scholarship recipient who showed up to every AWAF event. She showed up every single time and represented herself, got the visibility, built her credibility, built her relationships and her connections, and she ended up landing a position right out of college. I feel that was because of showing up. It's about showing you care, representing yourself well, networking, connecting, and building your relationships along the way. Showing up really speaks volumes.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I would say the biggest challenge is being a female in the industry and getting the visibility, finding your seat at the table. I've been maneuvering and navigating through my career and my journey, and listening to other women, it's been a challenge because we're still a small percentage where there's a lot of work to do. It sounds like we've made progress over the years, but we're still underrepresented. When I started, especially when I was in the engineering organization, maybe there were like 5% females in that organization, so it was very male-dominated with different views, different voices, and different opinions. I feel that it's our job as women in the industry to communicate that to leadership. There are more and more companies and organizations that have women in leadership roles, but that's been the biggest challenge.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I would say work-life balance is most important to me, having balance. Family is important to me, and my career's important to me. Having balance and helping others matters deeply to me. I like to give back to the community in one way, shape, or form, which is why I'm part of these women in automotive foundations and associations, and why I'm involved in the industry. Finding that equilibrium between professional success and personal fulfillment, while also making time to support and mentor others, is what drives me.
Keep Exploring
More Influential Women · Michigan
Join Influential Women and start making an impact. Register now.