Cheryl Thompson is the founder of the Center for Automotive Diversity, Inclusion & Advancement. CADIA supports Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the Automotive Industry by providing professional development for individuals, along with resources, programs, and tools that drive organizational evolution.

A veteran of the automotive industry, Cheryl has over 30 years of experience at Ford Motor Company and American Axle and Manufacturing in positions ranging from skilled trades to operations, engineering, and global leadership.

She is trained in diversity and inclusion, career and leadership coaching, and is Six Sigma trained and certified as a Black Belt. Cheryl has been recognized as a 2019 Influential Women in Manufacturing Honoree, a 2019 Corp Magazine Salute to Diversity award winner, Marketing and Sales Executives of Detroit Platinum Award, and is the recipient of two Diversity and Inclusion Awards from Ford Motor Company.

A sought-after voice and speaker in the automotive, manufacturing and aerospace, and defense industries, Cheryl has performed keynote addresses, workshops, and breakout sessions for a number of companies and events, including TEDx Windsor, Women in Manufacturing (WiM), the American Automotive Summit, and Society of Women Engineers (SWE).