Barbara Cox Award

About the Barbara Cox Award

Named after the late Barbara Cox – who served as director of Cox Enterprises, Cox Automotive’s parent company in the USA – the award aims to recognise and reward women who demonstrate a commitment to innovation, leadership, or community within the automotive sector. The award is open to any woman working within the automotive industry across Australia. In addition to gaining recognition across the industry, the winner also receives $5,000 to spend on her personal development.

We are pleased to announce that the nomination process for the 2025 Barbara Cox Award – Woman of the Year is now open.

Barbara Cox, a business pioneer who was an Owner and Director of Cox Enterprises – Cox Automotive’s parent company. Barbara Cox was the daughter of the company’s founder, Governor James Cox, and the mother of its current chairman, Jim Kennedy.

Finalists for 2025 Barbara Cox Award locked in, celebrating Women in Automotive

The four nominees in 2025 represent car dealerships, the leasing sector, and the repair industry.

Cox Automotive Australia (CAA) has shortlisted four finalists for the 2025 Barbara Cox Award, an annual celebration of high-performing women across the automotive sector put forward by their peers.

The winner will be announced on September 11 at the Women in Automotive Signature Luncheon in Melbourne at Zinc, Federation Square. The theme for the event is ‘Change Makers: Leading with Vision and Purpose.’

Broadening representation across the automotive sector is incredibly important, and Cox Automotive is proud to play its part in recognising valuable contributions made by women across all facets.

Nominations for the 2025 Barbara Cox Award were open to any woman working within the automotive industry across Australia. It was no easy feat to shortlist just four women from an outstanding field, said CAA HR Director and member of the judging panel, Silvia Balovcikova.

“The automotive industry is a major contributor to Australian economy, and it’s incumbent on all stakeholders to cultivate more inclusive workplaces – not only within their own businesses, but across the wider automotive sector,” Balovcikova said.

“Greater participation of women working in automotive will broaden the talent pool and create significant benefits for the entire industry. Celebrating all of our amazing nominees and our four finalists at a high-profile industry event, is a meaningful way to recognise their contributions. It also helps to shine a light on the importance of a diverse workforce and the strengths female employees bring to any business in the industry.”

In addition to gaining well-deserved recognition across the sector, the winner will receive $5000 to spend on her personal development.

The nominees are:

Carly Ruggeri: Director, Euro Panels

Carly Ruggieri is described by colleagues as a trailblazer and leading authority in the automotive industry, a powerful advocate for change, and someone who brings a “critical and inspiring voice” to an industry long dominated by men.

She is co-director of a successful body repair business in Geelong, and former Chair of the Victorian Automotive Chamber of Commerce’s Body Repair Division. Carly was just the second woman ever elected to the VACC Executive Board, and the sole current female board member.

Carly also represents Victoria on the National Committee for Body Repairers, ensuring the state’s concerns are heard and addressed at the highest levels, having led key delegations to Canberra. She is never afraid to call out bad behaviour, push for accountability, and advocate for ethical and sustainable industry standards.

Tegan Blockey: Dealer Principal, Bridge Toyota and Lexus of Darwin

Tegan is Dealer Principal of Bridge Toyota and Lexus of Darwin, and the first woman to hold this seniormost position in any Lexus dealership in Australia. Deeply committed to empowering women and future talent in the industry, Tegan has launched in-house growth sessions and recognition programmes based on customer feedback and is well advanced on her goal to increase female representation in her workplace to 50%.

Showing her long-term view, Tegan initiated a traineeship scheme for students, visiting schools and advocating for career pathways in the industry. “Her focus on education, inclusion, and long-term development makes her a truly worthy nominee for this award,” said a colleague.

Tegan has also strengthened the dealership’s role as a community leader through partnerships with AFL NT, Netball NT, and the Darwin Salties, while under her leadership the dealership has actively supported multiple charities including Cancer Council, Foodbank NT, and the Starlight Foundation among others.

Samantha Reid (Zanotto): Product Director – Novated, Custom Fleet

Samantha’s story has seen her move from the go-kart tracks of Adelaide to the boardrooms of automotive heavy hitters, forging a unique path and bringing others with her on the journey. She has been described by those who know her as a “captivating and inspiring leader” with a knack for unravelling complex problems.

As Product Director – Novated at Custom Fleet, she oversees an important facet of the business, one that has grown hand-in-hand with wider uptake of EVs in particular. Beyond this, she is also giving back to the sport she loves as a Non-Executive Director at Motorsport Australia and a Director at Karting Australia

Samantha was a junior karting champion, test driver for the Nissan Motorsports Development Series, senior trainer at Murcotts Driving Excellence, and Chair of Women of the Australian Motor Sport committee 2015-2017. She has also held senior roles at both Mazda and Nissan in Australia.

Leonie Knipe: Dealer Principal, Avon Valley Toyota, Isuzu Ute, Nissan and Mitsubishi

According to those who work with her, Leonie “exemplifies what it means to embrace innovation, lead, inspire people, and give back.” Her leadership and impact, they say, stretches far beyond the walls of her dealerships and into the broader communities where she operates.

Leonie is Dealer Principal at Avon Valley Toyota, Isuzu Ute, Nissan & Mitsubishi in regional Western Australia, a founding member of Women in Toyota WA, part of the Northam Chamber of Commerce, and a sought-after guest speaker known for mentoring others.

Leonie goes above and beyond to foster a caring and inclusive environment for a growing team, and the ongoing success of the dealerships she runs is testament to her ability to elevate those around her. She also gives back, supporting countless community initiatives and numerous fundraisers.

The 2024 Barbara Cox Award winner was Shai Copelin, Automotive Product Manager for TAFE New South Wales. The recipient of the inaugural 2023 award was Eleni Mitakos, Founder of Galmatic, an organisation that runs car maintenance courses for women and teenagers.

The annual award is named for the late Barbara Cox, a business pioneer and director of Cox Enterprises, Cox Automotive’s US-based parent company. It recognises women who demonstrate business leadership and community advocacy, as well as a commitment to advancing our industry.

To learn more about the 2025 finalists

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Celebrating our 2024 Barbara Cox Award Winner – Shai Copelin

The selection of a winner for the Barbara Cox Award is no easy task. With so many high-quality nominations received it was difficult to select four finalists let alone an eventual winner. When selecting finalists and ultimately the winner, the WWD Committee review the nominations and a detailed submission requested from each of the 4 finalists who are asked to outline their credentials. The Committee then asses the four candidates against the criteria for the award – their commitment to innovation, leadership and community, as well as their impact on the industry. Importantly, these criteria guide the WWD Committee’s assessment as it is both the impact to the industry and the personal qualities of each candidate which are most important. It is not just about the candidate’s role, their title or the company they work for; it is a wholistic judging process to acknowledge a diverse range of candidates from different parts of our industry across varying roles and responsibilities.

 As we now know, Shai was selected as the winner of the 2024 award. Starting her automotive journey as an apprentice mechanic and becoming a fully qualified technician, she went on to work her way up to workshop controller and ultimately service manager of a multi-franchise dealership. Her desire to keep progressing her career led her to her next and current role, as a Product Manager at TAFE NSW. In a number of ways, Shai meets the requirements as a worthy winner and other judges have also found her to be extraordinary; as evidenced by her selection as a winner of the Long Tan Leadership Award (ADF), the NRMA Star award and the title of Regional Apprentice of the Year.

 It was clear from Shai’s submission and from her nomination that she has been committed to leadership, community and innovation. Especially all 3 coming to the fore in her current role where she is responsible for managing automotive products and resources for TAFE NSW. She is playing a pivotal role in shaping the next generation of automotive professionals – both male and female. She is involved in strategic planning, curriculum development and her drive to deliver high-quality education, underscores her commitment to advancing the automotive industry through education and training. She was also acknowledged for her ethical conduct and upholding the highest standards in her profession. Her previous awards are testament to these qualities.

 One of the biggest challenges in our industry – and it has been for a decade or more – is the lack of qualified automotive technicians. It is a real problem. And now with growing sales of EVs, the issue is expanding to include a lack of trained EV technicians. On top of all her other qualities and achievements, Shai is a committed educator and is at the coal face (or should we say power point?) of actively addressing one of the industry’s biggest challenges. Hands on, doing the work, leading the way not to mention paving the way for EV tech training which is desperately needed. Her EV course is not just for new techs coming through, it will also be for current techs so they can upskill to meet the demands of our changing industry. Interestingly, Grace Huang, President of Inventory Solutions and International, just announced Manheim/Cox would be expanding their tech training capacity by opening their fifth training centre in the US. Part of this expansion is the need for EV-trained technicians, so it is very clear that education and training are highly valued at Cox Automotive and linked to our values.

 Part of her drive for this EV training is to support the educational needs for our greener future, which of course is aligned to Cox sustainability values. On top of all this, throughout her career she has been an advocate for diversity, vocational skills enhancement and the empowerment of women. She has consistently represented and championed women’s presence in this sector, actively encouraging and facilitating the entry of young women into the automotive workforce. Not just from the example she has set personally but by her wide-ranging actions.

 She also has plans to launch a “getitstarted” program. It is a community-based program she is developing to equip all women with essential skills, knowledge, and mentorship to independently work and manage challenges in the automotive industry. She is hoping to launch this program in 2025 and by doing so create further pathways for woman into automotive. Some of the career paths that are taught at NSW TAFE have a 1 or 2% female participation rate (note – not the course but the employment sector) which is reflective nationally in the labour force. One of the fastest ways to grow the desperately needed number of technicians is to recruit more females into the industry – something she is contributing to substantially.

 It was clear to the WWD Committee that in the categories of innovation, community and leadership, Shai is a great ambassador and closely aligns to the Cox values. Interestingly, the great, late Barbara Cox was also a strong advocate for education and particularly that of women. Living most of her adult life in Hawaii, she helped found the Hawaii School for Girls and was a Director on the Board of the Hawaii Preparatory Academy, which was originally a K-12 school for girls but is now co-educational and has added on a post-graduate (post high school) year. It is clear that the namesake of the award highly valued education and it is fitting that our winner in 2024 is an educator (amongst many other things) and Eleni who won last year, with many other qualities was also selected due to her role of educating females (1 million and counting) through her Galmatic workshops and school-based training courses.

Celebrating our 2023 Barbara Cox Award Winner – Eleni Mitakos

Eleni Mitakos is a passionate educator, entrepreneur, and changemaker who has dedicated her career to empowering women and teenagers with practical life skills through the world of automotive. As the founder of Galmatic, Eleni has led a movement that has reached over 1 million Australians since 2007, delivering hands-on car maintenance workshops that build confidence, independence, and a sense of agency—especially among young women and those from disadvantaged backgrounds.​

Her journey began with a love for cars and a vision to change the narrative around who belongs in the automotive industry. From purchasing her first car—a 1958 FC Holden—at age 16, to managing national apprenticeship programs for Harley-Davidson Australia, Eleni has combined her passion for vehicles with a deep commitment to education and gender equality. Through Galmatic, she has created a unique, mobile, and environmentally conscious business model that brings automotive education directly to schools, communities, and councils across the country.​

Eleni’s impact extends far beyond the classroom. She has worked closely with the NSW Department of Education on initiatives like Driven to Succeed, a regional outreach program that introduced girls to automotive apprenticeships and led to a 20% increase in female apprenticeship uptake in 2022. Her leadership has also helped shape inclusive training programs and elevate female representation in traditionally male-dominated spaces—culminating in milestone moments like the 2017 Harley-Davidson apprentice graduation, which featured an all-female leadership team.​

With a flair for storytelling and a retro-inspired brand identity, Eleni has built Galmatic into a trusted and beloved name in automotive education. Her programs are known for being fun, engaging, and empowering—delivered with a mix of humour, heart, and hands-on learning. She has partnered with major brands including Harley-Davidson, Caltex, Toyota, and Bob Jane T-Marts, and continues to use media and social platforms to amplify her message and connect with new audiences.​

At the core of Eleni’s leadership is a belief that education is power, and that every young person—regardless of gender—deserves the tools to feel confident, capable, and in control. She is a role model not only for girls but for boys as well, showing that everyone has a part to play in building a more inclusive and equitable future. Whether she’s spinning spanners in the sun or guiding students down their own yellow brick road, Eleni Mitakos is redefining what it means to thrive in automotive—#LikeAGirl.

To learn about all our finalists

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