25th Annual Rainbow PUSH/CEF Global Automotive Summit
Conference Theme: “Celebrating 25 Years of Inclusion: Partnering to Shape the Future of Automotive”
This year’s Global Automotive Summit represents the 25th annual edition of this noteworthy event. That’s a quarter century of advocating for inclusion and equality for ethnic minorities in the automotive industry. A quarter century of helping establish measurable benchmarks to that end. And a quarter century of normalizing corporate conversations aimed at purposeful strategies toward strengthening African American inclusion in the automotive industry.
The 25th Annual Global Automotive Summit is scheduled for October 2-3, 2024 at the Motor City Casino Conference Center in Detroit. It continues to be the premier event for advocating for African Americans and other ethnic minorities in the automotive industry–where corporate executives, dealership owners, automotive suppliers, advertising company executives, industry researchers, and others, converge to dissect the ways to best strengthen inclusion in the automotive sector.
25th Global Automotive Summit
October 2-3, 2024
Motor City Casino Conference Center
2901 Grand River Ave.
Detroit, MI 48201
Awards Reception - Oct. 2, 2024
Amnesia Ballroom – 16th Floor – 6:00 p.m.
EMERGING LEADER AWARD
Mamadou Diallo: CEO, Piston Group LLC
Lottie Holland: Vice President, Diversity, Inclusion, Engagement & EEO Compliance – Stellantis
Chandra Vasser: Vice President and Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer – Nisssan Americas
LIVING LEGEND AWARD
Alva Adams: Executive Group Manager, Multicultural Business Alliance & Strategy and Multicultural Dealer Relations – Toyota Motor North America
Rod Alberts: Co-Executive Director, Detroit Auto Dealers Association and Detroit Auto Show
Gerald Johnson: Executive Vice President, Global Manufacturing and Sustainability – General Motors
AUTOMOTIVE PIONEER
Walter Douglas: Chairman – Avis Ford
LIVE ENTERTAINMENT
Charles & Gwen Scales
Global Automotive Summit Agenda - Oct. 3, 2024
8:00 a.m. – 8:40 a.m.
Salon A & B
HOST: Alvin Jones, Award-Winning Television Host
STATE OF THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY: Dealerships
Perry Watson IV: President – NAMAD
STATE OF THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY: Minorities and Vehicle Purchases
Marc Bland: Chief Diversity Officer – S & P Global Mobility
8:45 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.
Salon A & B
CHIEF DIVERSITY OFFICER PANEL
“Examining the Auto Industry’s Recommitment to DEI”
MODERATOR: Damon Autry: Writer
PANELISTS: Erica Bolden: Head of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & People Analytics – Mercedes Benz USA
Kristen Puchek: Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer – General Motors
Chandra Vasser: Vice President & Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer – Nissan Americas
10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Salon C
VICE PRESIDENTS OF GLOBAL PURCHASING PANEL
“Intentional Commitment to Equality in the Automotive Supply Chain”
MODERATOR: Ralph G. Moore: President – Ralph G. Moore & Associates
PANELISTS: Mike Lapham: Vice President, Procurement – Honda Development & Manufacturing of America LLC
Jeffrey Morrison: Vice President, Global Purchasing & Supply Chain – General Motors
Andrew Wareing: Chief Procurement Officer & Vice President, Purchasing – Nissan Americas
Robert Young: Group Vice President, Purchasing Supplier Development – Toyota Motor North America Inc.
12 noon – 1:15 p.m.
Salon A & B
BUSINESS LUNCHEON & EDUCATION AWARDS
HOST: Lauren Sanders, Media Specialist
Invocation: Bishop Charles H. Ellis III: Senior Pastor, Greater Grace Temple
Welcome Remarks – John A. Graves: Chairman, Rainbow PUSH Automotive Project & Citizenship Education Fund
Scholarship Presentations
CVS – The Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Health Career Scholarships
American Honda – Powering Dreams: The Rev. Jesse Jackson “Powering Dreams” Scholarship
Ford Motor Company – Ford Future Leaders Scholarship
General Motors – Keep Hope Alive Scholarships
Hyundai – Unlimited Possibilities Scholarships
Kia – Kia America Accelerate the Good Scholarships Program
Nissan – Nissan Innovation Scholarships
Subaru – Subaru University Automotive Technician Scholarships
Volkswagen – Volkswagen Pursuit of Champions Scholarships
Toyota – Toyota Rev. Jesse Jackson Fellows Scholarships
Fireside Chat – Janeen Uzzell: CEO, National Society of Black Engineers
1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
MCC-2
CAREERS IN THE EV SECTOR
Andrew Leutheuser: Global Purchasing Director, Electrification and Batteries – General Motors
3:15 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
MCC-1
BOOK SIGNING
Bankole Thompson: Opinion Columnist, The Detroit News – “Fiery Conscience”
Conference Registration
To register for the 25th Annual Rainbow PUSH Global Automotive Summit, please click here.
Hotel Reservations
There are three ways to complete your hotel stay:
- Call the hotel directly at (313) 237-7711 and reference the Global Automotive Summit 2024 Citizens Education Fund.
- Visit the Motor City Casino Hotel website, click on BOOK A ROOM, and use the group code 112624CITI.
- Follow this link to input check-in and check-out dates, as well as other components of your reservation.