Detroit’s premiere business journal, DBusiness, has honored Continental’s Jennifer Wahnschaff, vice president, instrumentation and driver HMI for the Americas, at the publication’s 2016 Powered by Women Breakfast Series. One of the highest-ranking female leaders of Continental in North America, Wahnschaff was honored as one of eight female business leaders and is the first recipient from Continental to be recognized by DBusiness.
The breakfast took place this morning at the Great Lakes Culinary Center in Southfield, Michigan. Part of the publication’s annual breakfast series, the DBusiness Powered by Women list and event recognizes female business leaders in the region for creativity and innovation, for influencing company revenue, new business opportunities and adding value to the lives of their business colleagues and employees.
“As a female executive, I’ve learned that while hard work and professionalism are definitely necessary, leadership is about supporting others and making an impact,” said Wahnschaff. “I am truly humbled to be recognized by DBusiness and to share this honor with such amazing women. Congratulations to all of the honorees. Let’s continue to shatter glass ceilings together and pave the way for talented young women in all industries.”
Wahnschaff said she recognizes the value and importance in corporate mentorship. She realizes that sharing her business knowledge, wisdom and technical expertise directly impacts the success of employees and sparks innovation. Wahnschaff’s corporate mentorship supports men on how to better work with women in the workforce and prepare women for career acceleration.
“I feel a strong sense of responsibility to inspire and support women at Continental to continue to aim higher,” said Wahnschaff. “Today, opportunities exist for women in engineering, quality, finance and sales that weren’t necessarily there before. I am proud to continue to help women’s networks across Continental optimize their visibility and impact.”
As an active mentor in the company’s Women’s Forum, Wahnschaff helps engage leaders at all levels of the organization and supports a framework for highlighting the power of perspectives and embracing differences.
The primary mission for the Women’s Forum is to take steps forward, capitalizing on the company’s strengths and inspiring “One Continental.” In the metro Detroit area, Continental has more than 300 members in the Women’s Forum and this level of participation continues to expand. Women’s Forums also are located at Continental facilities in the Chicagoland area, Mexico and across the globe, including several forums established in Europe.
In recent years, Continental says it has made significant strides toward improving the diversity and inclusion efforts in the workforce, including implementing new programs, forums and affinity groups to support women. The company has embraced practices such as telecommuting, flexible work hours and concierge services to promote a healthy work-life balance and become an “employer of choice.
