Chicago Auto Show organizers, in partnership with A Girls Guide to Cars, have announced that the What Drives Her networking event and awards program will return to the show’s Industry Day for the eighth year. What Drives Her was started in 2017 as a way to bring together influential women in the automotive industry and amplify the female leadership and innovation contributions across manufacturing, retailers, media and beyond.

“It’s been incredible to see What Drives Her grow over the past seven years, and it has truly become a cornerstone event of the Chicago Auto Show’s Media Preview,” said Chicago Auto Show General Manager Jennifer Morand. “Our show provides the perfect backdrop to celebrate these trailblazing women. The event unites a mix of key media, manufacturers, third-party suppliers, dealers and other industry personnel.”

The annual What Drives Her awards recognize and applaud outstanding females and advocates in the industry. Nominations are submitted from individuals within the industry, ranging from auto manufacturers, suppliers, media and dealers. The panel of distinguished jurors are made up of female automotive journalists. 

The four award categories include:

1. Trailblazer: Employed by an automaker, auto retailer or core automotive supplier; job title no higher than vice president; works primarily in North America; she may be notable for her empowerment of others, her breaking down of barriers that allows others to follow, her pursuit of non-traditional roles or jobs, her leadership, and taking on additional roles such as leading an employee resource group or mentoring program.
2. Best in Craft Automotive Media: A full-time or part‑time North American journalist, content creator, video creator, social or digital media creator with a focus on the automotive industry, she demonstrates general excellence of craft, supports women and her colleagues in the automotive industry or, through voice and narrative, creates more accessible automotive information and more inclusive automotive storytelling.
3. Automotive Ally: This person offers continual support, coaching, advocacy, education and understanding, helping to create opportunities for others as they build their careers in automotive. This award is open to any executive, leader, manager or other person inside or outside the automotive industry and reflects the impact that this person has on the industry, for both individuals and organizations.
4. Best Retailer: At a local level, the Best Retailer award calls on Chicago Automobile Trade Association dealers to nominate an extraordinary female at Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana dealerships. This person demonstrates a high level of commitment and drive to any task at hand, whether that’s in sales, service, finance or technical support. Nominees must be employed by a Chicago-area dealership.

The 2024 recipient was Gabrielle Abinion, general manager, Fox Valley Volkswagen. Abinion has always been driven and passionate following her father’s footsteps in the automotive industry. In 2017, Abinion joined her family’s auto group as an operation manager. This led to an opportunity to become the general manager of Fox Valley Buick GMC. It was at this time that she was introduced to General Motors (GM) Minority Dealer Development program through her Dealer 20 group and is now a member of the GM Dealer Development National Candidate Pool. In efforts to diversify her experience within the Auto Group’s portfolio, Abinion is now the general manager of Fox Valley Volkswagen. She has helped her Volkswagen stores set records in sales, as well as break the record for Service & Parts growth three times in 2023.

The 2025 awards will be presented during the 2025 Chicago Auto Show’s Media Preview on Thursday, Feb. 6 at McCormick Place.