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Matt McAuley

Director of Strategy and Marketing, Cox Automotive

Matt McAuley has been a part of the Automotive Industry for over 30 years and throughout his tenure he has not just lived and breathed equality and inclusion in all his interactions with colleagues, he has actually taken steps to support and encourage others to walk the same path. He is a strong believer in ‘fairness’ and that everyone should have the same opportunities and benefits and works to ensure that in his workplace and beyond. A key ally to us at Women in Automotive for some time now, a listening ear and at times an advisor – we value his contribution to our industry and our mission.


Please explain your job? 

As part of the Executive Leadership team of Cox Automotive Australia (CAA), my role includes managing our corporate strategy and the marketing and public relations functions for the company and our multiple brands. I also work closely with our HR Director, Silvia Balovcikova, to support her work on company and industry-wide ID&E initiatives and corporate social responsibility programs.

 

What was your first job and general path to where you are now?

When I was 15, I started at McDonalds and progressed to become a ‘Crew Chief and Trainer’, when I decided to defer from University the owner offered me a full-time management position. It was good money for my age, and with all the training and development I benefited from, I learnt a lot about managing teams and running a business. My time there always kept me in good stead, especially early in my career.

 

My first job in automotive was working in the National Aftersales Department for Porsche Cars Australia. As I was then completing my Business Degree (in Marketing and part-time) I was fortunately able to transfer to the Marketing Department and spent most of my time there working on marketing campaigns, customer experience programs and looking after PR. My next move was for career development reasons and I joined Sime Darby as National PR & Customer Relations Manager when they took over the distribution for Peugeot in 2001. My next move was to Manheim Auctions and in my 15 years here, I’ve held a variety of roles and have been fortunate to play a key role in establishing Cox Automotive in Australia and expanding our industry presence.

 

What do you love about your job?

During my time in the automotive industry (30+ years), I’ve always loved its dynamic nature and working with the people who find their way into the sector. Change is a constant and in my role, my scope means that I am always working on a range of initiatives and projects, in collaboration with a variety of stakeholders, so it is always interesting and I’m always learning. I also love working for Cox Automotive and although they are a large global company, they are still family-owned and have a strong set of core values which makes this business a great place to work.


What does allyship mean to you?

On a very personal level, it means doing what I can to support and advocate for women within our company and the wider industry. Being an ally within the automotive industry especially, means actively supporting and advocating for gender equality. No matter what part of the sector you work in, what your role is or the influence you think you have, allies need to help highlight biases and double standards, promote more inclusive policies and ensure women have equal opportunities for career advancement.

Being an ally will look different for me compared to someone else. That’s fine because ‘what’ you can do and ‘how’ you go about it, will in many ways depend on your own unique set of circumstances. But the most important thing for male allies in our industry is that their ‘why’ is coming from an authentic place of care and a desire to continually seek to understand the unique challenges women face.


What have done to be a male ally?

I’ve been fortunate to lend my support in a number of ways over the 15 years I’ve been with Cox Automotive. On a personal level, I’ve sought to be a better manager by learning about different ways women and men operate in a workplace because gender norms and stereotypes certainly impact perceived behaviour and views of performance and collaboration. I think it is vital for managers and senior leaders to assess performance and career advancement opportunities fairly and professionally and this includes looking deeper than many of the performance markers, which are normally aligned to intrinsically male-based behaviour sets.


As a senior executive and a member of our employee resource group – Women with Drive (WWD) – I’ve also actively supported our flexible work arrangements, which we know from multiple studies have a greater impact on women in helping balance professional and personal responsibilities. Again this is not equitable but it is a fact and any change to flexible working arrangements disproportionally impacts and/or excludes women from fully participating in the employment market.


As a member of WWD it has been my pleasure, over many years and particularly since Silvia (our HR Director) came on board in 2019, to support a number of initiatives designed to empower females both within our company and our industry and help address gender inequality. Of recent note is the launch of our Barbara Cox Award and our valued partnership with Women in Automotive.


What drives you to work on the gender gap in our industry?

My motivation stems from a strong sense of egalitarianism or to use a simpler word – fairness – but that doesn’t quite capture it, in my opinion. I believe everybody should have the same opportunities and enjoy the same benefits. One way these notions are challenged is according to gender. It has been natural to lend my support, where and how I could earlier in my career and more deliberately and proactively as I’ve moved into more senior roles.

Working in the automotive industry, particularly early on, I’ve witnessed how some women were not taken seriously by males, and I’ve always done my best to develop respectful and professional relationships with female colleagues, suppliers and business partners alike. There have certainly been advancements in gender equality. However, there is still a long way to go.


What challenges do you face as a male ally?

In a very supportive working environment, I can’t say that I’ve had challenges in the strictest sense of the word. But the key personal challenges centre around overcoming my own biases and patterns of behaviour which form from a young age and then are reinforced into adulthood. What do I mean by that?

Firstly, to be a good ally – and become a better person – it is important to learn that we all come from a point of view that is a product of multiple factors, often one of which we have no control. But in a world where everyone is so unique, we all have different points of view and mine is no better or more important than yours. But when a point of view is considered ‘normal’ or mainstream and therefore is reinforced by cultural and societal norms, they become powerful biases which are reflected in beliefs and behaviours. A primary challenge is seeking understanding and education to overcome this (reflexive) way of thinking and to express it simply, develop the ability to put yourself in other people’s shoes, to see their perspective and the challenges they face daily. That way, you can think, react and act differently to support females working in our industry.

Lastly, and just quickly, it also extends to behaviour men might naturally want to gravitate towards as an expected role – the ‘fixer’ or the ‘problem solver’. It is vital to recognise my role as an ally and how I can best empower women and their initiatives and amplify their achievements within my sphere of influence.


What are some ways that men can be good allies in the workplace?

Men can be good allies in the workplace by actively challenging gender stereotypes and promoting more inclusive behaviours. Tangibly, this might look like speaking up against sexist remarks in a meeting or over lunch; supporting flexible work arrangements whenever you can; or advocating for a female colleague’s career advancement. I don’t like typing this sentence (not because I don’t want to make the point – rather for the fact it even has to be made…) but it could even start with making sure you clean up your own rubbish after a meeting or an event, as in most workplaces this is left to female staff. One small step can be the first step towards significant change.


Men should also start (or further) educate themselves on the unique challenges women face in the workplace and understand that males need to be part of the solution in addressing these issues. If your workplace has an employee resource group like our WWD, join it and encourage other male colleagues to do so.


What do we need to do to inspire more male advocates?

Highlighting the need for male allies like this article is a great step. If we can give gender equality issues more focus and provide some tools for men to learn more about the challenges and how they can help, I believe more men will want to participate in change and become powerful allies for women in their workplaces. I’m always happy to help in any way I can, so if anyone wants to know more or just have a chat, they can easily find me on LinkedIn and I’d be happy to catch up.


How do you attract and retain female talent in your workplace?

We work hard to be an employer of choice and have been certified as a ‘Great Place to Work’ for the past few years. Our commitment to ID&E is tangible and helps attract and retain females. A key aspect of our workplace is our flexible working policy, which benefits all team members and can be an important factor in attracting women into our organisation.


Additionally, with a focus on supporting and empowering females through our WWD initiative, we ensure our policies match our commitment to female employees in all areas of our business.

We are committed to closing our gender pay gap, and our work over the past few years has certainly improved our performance compared to automotive industry benchmarks.


We also ensure our various policies address the unique needs of women as appropriate, such as in our Discrimination, Harassment and Bullying Prevention Policy, our Paid Parental Leave Policy, our Parental and Adoption Leave Policy and most recently, our Family and Domestic Violence Policy.


What is the best piece of advice you were ever given?

I was lucky enough to attend a training course early into my career at Porsche, aimed at strengthening international relationships and understanding cultural differences between countries. I was introduced to a concept called ‘The Self-Reference Criterion’ which is a technique that helps people recognise and reduce the influence of their own cultural biases when making decisions. While the application was centred on cultural differences, I quickly realised it was just as helpful when looking at any topic, issue or challenge that required consideration of other people. So the advice to understand your own biases so you can make better decisions has always stuck with me as a way to go about things to ensure you can be considerate and empathetic of others.

Matt McAuley

In the spirit of reconciliation, Women in Automotive acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.

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