Chorley Group managing director named one of the most influential women in the UK motor industry

Pauline Turner, managing director of the Chorley Group, has been recognised as one of the sector’s most inspirational figures following her inclusion in Autocar magazine’s ‘Great British Women in the Car Industry’.

Born and raised in Blackburn, Pauline began working in the motor industry as a trainee sales executive in 1989, working alongside her brother Andy Turner, founder of the Bugle Inn Motor Company, which later became the Chorley Group.

After learning the trade from the ground up, valeting, selling and delivering vehicles, Pauline swiftly advanced through the sales front line, helping to establish the family-run Chorley Group as the biggest volume Nissan dealer in Europe for three years running.

Last year, Pauline was promoted to the role of managing director and now heads up day-to-day operations at the group, which employs 230 people across its five sites in Burnley, Preston, Chorley, Wigan and Blackpool.

Chorley Group chairman, Andy Turner, said: “We are incredibly proud of Pauline and what she has achieved in the industry over the last 25 years.

“Pauline has been an integral part of the Chorley Group from day one and her passion and dedication has been a major factor in our success.

“The automotive industry has traditionally been dominated by males but I’m proud to say three of the Chorley Group’s five directors are female, and Pauline is managing director of the company, so we are playing a leading role in trying to change perceptions.

“Hopefully young women will look at Pauline’s achievements and be inspired to consider a career in the automotive industry.”

The Autocar Great British Women in the Car Industry initiative was set up to encourage more women into the automotive industry and to address the challenges they face in both entering and progressing in it.

To coincide with the list being announced, Autocar – the UK’s oldest and most respected weekly motoring title – also staged an event in London, where a panel of experts debated and discussed the issues involved.

The magazine’s editorial director, Jim Holder, said: “We want to stimulate debate about the attractiveness of the industry we love as a place to work for everyone.

“At present, women are underrepresented in the automotive industry, but we believe that a positive focus on the numerous opportunities that a career in the industry can offer can have a real impact in reversing that trend.” The initiative is backed by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), Direct Line Group, Ford and Jaguar Land Rover.