Dr Astrid Fontaine, member of the board for people, digitization and IT at Bentley Motors, has been announced as one of the top 100 Most Influential Women in the Engineering Sector.
The list, produced by board appointment firm Inclusive Boards with the Financial Times, recognizes senior leaders in the engineering sector, and will be announced at the Inclusive Boards: Women in Engineering Leadership Conference this month.
Dr Fontaine took up the new role in January 2018; it combines the leadership of Bentley’s human resources provision and the delivery of its digital transformation and IT services, and has been the driving force behind a new digital strategy that includes the digital transformation of processes, enterprise product and customer solutions.
In addition, Dr Fontaine has introduced the first digital technology apprenticeship program at Bentley Motors and is fostering the company-wide diversity program, which has seen the highest intake of female trainees into the business.
“With women still under-represented across the STEM sector, the Inclusive Boards report is an important initiative and I’m delighted to have been featured in the list published today. Our industry offers a wide range of career options from automotive design, engineering and manufacturing, through to information systems, technology and digitization, where I’ve been fortunate to be supported in the development of my own career. As Bentley celebrates its centenary and enters its next 100 years, my priority is to ensure we attract a diverse range of candidates into all of our functions and develop their potential as part of our journey to inclusiveness.”
