Toyota's Rhonda Gilyard Inducted Into WIM Hall of Fame
Rhonda Gilyard, Vice President of Administration at Mazda Toyota Manufacturing has been inducted into the Women In Manufacturing (WiM) Hall of Fame.
Since its inception in 2019 the WiM has recognised and celebrated women who have significantly contributed to the manufacturing industry.
In 2020 the organisation created the Hall of Fame, expanding its efforts to promote, support and inspire other women in manufacturing,.
It's since grown into a huge community with extensive events and networking opportunities.
Inductees are nominated by their colleagues and industry peers and selected by a panel of WiM Executive Committee Board Members.
They are chosen based on their significant contributions to the advancement of women in manufacturing.
Former inductees include Lori Goucher, Senior Vice President, Investments and Technology, BASF and Janet Duffey, Vice President Supply Chain - Aeronautics at Lockheed Martin Corp.
“These remarkable women have set new standards for future generations of manufacturing careers,” said WiM president and founder Allison Grealis, who in August we named one of our top ten manufacturing influencers.
“We look forward to honouring these leaders and celebrating their commitment to fostering diverse and inclusive workplaces in the industry.”
WiM recently held its annual summit at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston, which brought together a host of accomplished manufacturing professionals to share their experiences, expert insights and advice for future generations of women entering manufacturing and STEM fields.
Now Rhonda Gilyard joins their impressive lineup in the WiM Hall of Fame.
Rhonda Gilyard: Accomplishment at Toyota
Rhonda Gilyard currently services as the Vice President of Administration at Mazda Toyota Manufacturing, U.S.A., Inc. in Alabama – a joint venture between Toyota and Mazda.
For more than two decades, she has created pathways for women in manufacturing to succeed and cemented herself as a leader within Toyota North America.
“I am humbled and grateful to be selected as an inductee in the WiM Hall of Fame,” Rhonda says.
“To be honored with such awe-inspiring women and considered among the ranks of previous inductees is more than I could have ever dreamed or expected.”
Rhonda began her career in January 2000 as a quality engineer at Toyota's Long Beach, California plant. She was subsequently promoted numerous times, working assignments at Toyota's headquarters in Plano, Texas, Baja California and in Tijuana, Mexico at Toyota Motor Manufacturing.
In her current tole she leads nearly 4,000 team members, providing vital leadership and support on areas including safety, production control, purchasing environmental, security, announcing, human resources and finance.
“My career at Toyota has reinforced that no matter where in the world I work for this amazing company, the values are universal,” Rhonda adds.
“Success is measured by working together, problem solving as a team, respect for people and continuous improvement – the cornerstones of Toyota. I hope to share my expertise and these values to empower other women.”
Toyota: championing women's leadership
Increasing diversity and inclusion has been a key aim at Toyota, making notable strides in growing the number of women and people from marginalised backgrounds on its leadership team.
In 2015 Julie Hamp was famously appointed the company's first female senior executive, serving as Chief Communications Officer.
“I am looking forward to joining the talented communications team at Toyota, a company known for high quality products, best in class manufacturing and innovation,” she said.
“Toyota has a significant presence in North America, employing more than 37,000 people and operating 14 manufacturing plants in the region; and I am excited to take on this role to help contribute to the success of this great company.”
Though brief, her tenure marked a critical step for women's visibility and progression in big manufacturers.
A step which later created the way for Hanae Ito to be promoted to Toyota's board of directors in 2020, making her the first woman to hold such a position.
Toyota has also implemented internal initiatives to further drive this progression, with its 'Women’s Leadership Development Program" (WLDP).
This programme focused on developing leadership skills amongst female employees, with mentorship, career development workshops and networking opportunities aimed at helping women advance into leadership positions.
Toyota has also actively promoted gender diversity through its global policies, such as flexible work arrangements and programs aimed at reducing unconscious bias in hiring and promotions as it seeks to create a more inclusive work environment for women across all levels.
Rhonda Gilyard, like Julie and Hanae, is sure to inspire more women to rise up the ranks of Toyota, especially after being inducted into the WiM Hall of Fame.
She'll be joining Toyota's four other inductees,who are:
- Janette Hostettler, vice president of manufacturing, Toyota Kentucky (2023)
- Leah Curry, president-retired, Toyota Indiana (2022)
- Susan Elkington, senior vice president, electric vehicle supply, Toyota North America (2019)
- Millie Marshall, president-retired, Toyota Indiana (2021)
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