Blog of RENAULT NISSAN Alliance

© Jean-Christophe MOUNOURY

Agneta Dahlgren, a key figure in Renault's EV design, has been named Woman of the Year 2016 by the independent organisation "Women and Vehicles in Europe" (WAVE). The award recognizes Agneta's pivotal role as Head of Design for C-Segment and Electric Vehicles, and also affirms Renault's commitment to increasing the role of women in the industry.

Working at Renault since 1991, Agneta Dahlgren has risen through the ranks. After joining as a young graduate, she became Project Leader, working on the design of a variety of vehicles, from trucks to small city cars, including the Renault ZOE. She was appointed to her current position in 2011, and the new Renault Mégane, launched earlier this year, and the new Renault Scénic, due to launch in October, as well as, the Kadjar range, have all been designed under her leadership.

The team working on the Scénic with Agneta includes several women in key positions. Many members of the Design and Sales teams are women, including Product Manager Cécile Sobole and Irina Zaretskaya, who works as Programme Director.

The key role of women in the project, and within Renault as a whole, is part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance’s belief that gender diversity drives performance, innovation and motivation. In 2010, Renault launched its Women@Renault initiative to increase the percentage of women working at all levels of the company.

The results of this initiative are reflected in the fact that, at the end of 2015, 18.8 percent of staff at Renault were women, compared with just 10 percent in 1999. Furthermore, 24.2% of key positions within the Group were held by women at the end of last year, and 25% of the Group Executive Committee are currently women.