Monica Monteleone, founder of For the Girls, has been named the recipient of the 2026 Barbara Cox Award, recognised for her exceptional contribution to creating opportunities, visibility and belonging for women across Australia’s automotive community. 

The fourth annual Barbara Cox ‘Woman of the Year’ Award was presented at the Women in Automotive Signature Series event in Melbourne.  Increasing representation remains vital, and Cox Automotive including Manheim in Australia are proud to continue supporting and celebrating women making a difference across the sector. 

Cox Automotive Australia CEO Stephen Lester presented the award in honour of the late Barbara Cox, a pioneering business leader and former director of Cox Enterprises, the US-based parent company of Cox Automotive.  The award recognises women whose leadership, innovation, advocacy and community impact are helping shape the future of the automotive industry.     

Monica was selected as the winner from a field of four outstanding finalists, shortlisted from a nomination pool that doubled in size compared to the previous year.  In addition to industry-wide recognition, Monica receives a $5,000 professional development grant to support her future growth and career aspirations. 

2026 Barbara Cox Award Finalists 

• Monica Monteleone: Founder, For the Girls 
• Colette Kirby: CEO, Logicar 
• Caitlyn Hayes: Diesel Fitter & Automotive Electrician, Field Service Technician 
• Katherine Anderson: Senior Product Manager, Safety & Security, Intelematics (RACV)

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.

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.