Lisa Brankin has led Ford in the UK for more than five years
The initiative celebrates the achievements of the most influential women across the motoring sector
Ford of Britain and Ireland boss Lisa Brankin has been named the most influential woman in the British automotive industry at the Autocar Great Women Awards 2026.
Autocar Great Women is an initiative held in association with the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) to celebrate the achievements of the most influential women from across the motoring sector.
At this year’s ceremony, held at the Stellantis UK headquarters in Coventry on 16 April, we recognised the influence of 108 inspiring female leaders in 11 categories, including executive, vehicle development, sales, PR and communications and talent.
Each category’s shortlist was topped by an overall winner, as determined by a panel of Autocar and SMMT judges, with Brankin topping the Executive category and being named the overall winner of Autocar Great Women 2026. You can read about the achievements of all the shortlisted candidates and category winners on our dedicated website.
Brankin was promoted to the position of UK chair at Ford’s national sales company in August 2023 in addition to the responsibility of being managing director of Ford of Britain and Ireland, a role she took on in November 2020. Brankin’s posting to the very top position within this key Ford market – its largest in Europe – was the pinnacle of more than 20 successful years rising through the ranks of the brand.
Originally from Northern Ireland, Brankin graduated from the University of Ulster in 1990 and joined Ford as graduate trainee in the same year. She quickly moved into senior positions, including director of dealer operations; marketing manager for dealers and consumers; and communications, events and sponsorship manager.
In more recent years, Brankin was promoted to marketing director, before becoming sales director, then in 2019 she was promoted to director of passenger cars, overseeing all of Ford’s sales and marketing in Britain and Ireland.
During her time at the company, she has overseen Ford’s shift away from its traditional position of passenger car leader to a company with greater focus on the more profitable sales of light commercial vehicles, where Ford remains number one.
Accepting her award, Brankin said: “I’m incredibly honoured to have been inducted into the Hall of Fame at this year’s Great Women Awards and want to thank Autocar for this very special recognition.
“What makes this even more meaningful is seeing so many brilliant Ford colleagues recognised alongside me. Their passion, talent and leadership help shape the future of our business and our industry every day.
“Congratulations to everyone recognised and thank you again to Autocar for a fantastic event and for championing women in the automotive industry.”
With this her second overall Great Women victory, Brankin joins the initiative’s Hall of Fame, alongside other Great Women who have won multiple times, including Stellantis’s Alison Jones, McLaren’s Helen Foord and BMW’s Michelle Roberts.
Haymarket Automotive managing director Rachael Prasher said: “I offer my warmest celebrations to our 2026 honourees and the remarkable leaders recognised this year. The extraordinary calibre and multifaceted skillsets found across every corner of the automotive landscape are truly inspiring.
“As we accelerate through this era of total industry evolution, such pioneering spirit and plurality of vision have become the indispensable cornerstones of our collective success – and it’s laying the foundations for a whole new generation of amazing female leaders.”
Autocar editor Mark Tisshaw added: “The Autocar Great Women initiative is vital, because it shines a necessary spotlight on the brilliant female talent redefining our industry’s future.
“These winners are far more than high achievers; they are truly inspirational trailblazers whose dedication breaks barriers. By celebrating their success, we ensure the next generation sees that a rewarding, limit-free career in automotive is firmly within reach.”
Autocar Great Women 2026 is proudly sponsored by Bentley, IM Group, JLR, Keyloop, Nissan, NTT Data, Stellantis and Volvo Cars.
