NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Rebecca Barker Vest, vice president, corporate development and social responsibility, for Nissan North America, Inc., today was named one of the winners of the Nashville Business Journal 2017 Women of Influence Awards. Now in its 11th year, the Women of Influence Awards honor women who are shaping their companies, improving Nashville communities and paving the way for the next generation of influential female leaders.
Vest is honored in the “Company Executive” category for her work to shape Nissan’s diverse culture while paving the way for women in the automotive and Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) industries with educational opportunities.
Focused on corporate development, Vest oversees four corporate functions aimed at enhancing the company’s efforts toward corporate diversity, corporate social responsibility and philanthropy, sustainability and “4R battery,” original equipment manufacturer (OEM) partnerships and internal audit. This includes the Nissan Foundation, Nissan’s partnership with Habitat for Humanity, and Nissan Neighbors, all of which give back through charitable contributions and in-kind donations to communities across the U.S., including Middle Tennessee, the home of Nissan’s North American headquarters.
Vest is also committed to helping women find advancement opportunities in a traditionally male-dominated industry. As one of the leaders of Nissan’s women’s business synergy team, she helps produce DigiGirlz, an annual daylong event collaboration with Microsoft. DigiGirlz brings nearly 100 high school girls from Middle Tennessee who are interested in STEM careers to Nissan. Female engineers and managers talk to the girls about their careers and offer seminars, training, mentoring and advice.
Outside of her day-to-day work responsibilities, Vest also gives back to the community. She serves on the Board of Directors for both the Nissan Foundation and Pencil Foundation; is a charter member of the Nissan Diversity Council; volunteers with youth programs at First Presbyterian Church in Nashville, and Brentwood middle and high school sports boosters; and is a mentor at the University of Kentucky Gatton College of Business Economics, where she also participates in various events, seminars and speaking engagements. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business management from the University of Kentucky, and in 2015 was inducted into the University of Kentucky Gatton College Alumni Hall of Fame.
Vest has received numerous awards throughout her career, including Wheels in Motion’s Leading Automotive Award, Minority Business News’ Champion of Supplier Diversity, and was named one of Automotive News’ Top 100 Leading Women of the North American Automotive Industry.
Each year, the Nashville Business Journal (NBJ) announces a list of Women of Influence winners. To come up with the list of 32 honorees, NBJ solicits nominations from the public. An independent panel of judges, comprised of past winners, scores the nominees on a variety of criteria, including professional accomplishments and community involvement. Those with the highest scores make the annual list. See this year’s full list of honorees.
About Nissan North America
In North America, Nissan’s operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program and has been recognized annually by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency as an ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year since 2010. More information on Nissan in North America and the complete line of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles can be found online at NissanUSA.com and InfinitiUSA.com, or visit the U.S. media sites NissanNews.com and InfinitiNews.com.
About Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
Nissan is a global full-line vehicle manufacturer that sells more than 60 models under the Nissan, Infiniti and Datsun brands. In fiscal year 2015, the company sold more than 5.4 million vehicles globally, generating revenue of 12.2 trillion yen. Nissan engineers, manufactures and markets the world’s best-selling all-electric vehicle in history, the Nissan LEAF. Nissan’s global headquarters in Yokohama, Japan manages operations in six regions: ASEAN Oceania; Africa, Middle East India; China; Europe; Latin America and North America. Nissan has been partnered with French manufacturer Renault since 1999 and Mitsubishi Motors since 2016 under the Renault-Nissan Alliance.
For more information on our products, services and commitment to sustainable mobility, visit our website at http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/. You can also follow @NissanMotor on Twitter.
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Contact
Darla Turner
Manager, Corporate Communications
Office: 615-725-5432
darla.turner@nissan-usa.com