Robert Forrester CEO, Vertu Motors PLC, has highlight gender inequality in the automotive retail sector, calling for more to be done to address the issue, specifically the fact that just 15% of showroom staff are female.

Forrester said: ”My business is willing to talk about and start to do something about it but the sector should be in no doubt that the issue needs to be tackled head on. The best way to start is to be open in acknowledging it and then considering why something must be done.”

Forrester said there were both ethical and business reasons for taking action on the issue: “as a matter of fairness and equality, it is right that modern businesses do not operate in an overwhelming single gender environment. Secondly, it makes no business sense and those businesses which succeed in breaking down the barriers first will be those that thrive and prosper at a time when every sale has to be earned and customer delighted.”

With regard to Vertu Motors, Forrester said that issue is being focused on at manager meetings and conferences. He said ”All male sales teams are highlighted alongside pictures of Andy Capp! The further North you go the more we have!”

“Next, we are open about the data. Internally we have started to monitor the balance of our workforce and let all our colleagues see the progress we are making. It starts at the top, in the boardroom, where too few members of the board are female but recent appointments have started to address the issue.”

He concluded by pointing out that “Other major brands have started to adopt a positive and determined effort to tackle this issue. It has done them no harm and almost certainly has improved their business beyond the efforts expending in making the changes.“