2021 Woman of the Year: Jil Greene

Title: VP, Field HR Operations, AutoZone
Years in the industry: 4
Favorite Apps: Audible
Words to live by: “Feel the fear, and do it anyway.”

It’s the love of the industry and dedication to gender diversity within it that drive enthusiastic leader and 2021 Woman of the Year award winner Jil Greene every day. Greene fell in love with the aftermarket when she was recruited to work for AutoZone, where she is currently vice president of field HR operations “The reward for being part of the auto care industry happens to be the endless opportunities,” said 2021 Woman of the Year Jil Greene. “We have work to do for women in our industry… however the industry itself is amazing.”

"My team and I serve more than 6,800 stores, distribution centers and more than 105,000 AutoZoners around the globe. We lead the HR strategy and leadership development for store operations, supply chain and talent acquisition"

said Greene

“We create strategies to acquire and develop talent for our field workforce; implement consistent practices that reinforce a caring and diverse environment in our workplace; as well as equip and develop leaders who lead our multi-generational personnel.” But the passion of Jil Greene — a Ball State graduate with a BA in telecommunications/ broadcast journalism — hardly stops there. In addition to mentoring women and leading women leadership and development workshops…

“I am a servant leader who serves on many organizations including as an executive sponsor for AZ WIN (AutoZone’s Women’s Network), second VP of the Girl Scouts (Heart of the South); director of programming for SHRM Memphis; program director for Jack and Jill Memphis; board of trustees for New Memphis; a member of Links Inc.; and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated,” said Greene.

In your opinion, what is the biggest issue(s) facing the auto care industry today?

There is an opportunity to increase the representation of women in the auto care industry. The auto care industry is a 38.3 billion industry that currently employs over 4.4 million people. Women make up about 20%, and less than 10% are women of color. We have made great strides in more women joining the industry over the years, but we still have work to be done.

If you weren’t in the auto care industry, what would you be doing?

I would be head of a school and I would call CT or Communication Town. It would host classes designed to teach at risk youth the art of communicating. This school would focus on the five key phases of communication:

• Written Communication
• Oral Communication
• Non-Verbal and Visual Communication
• Active Listening
• Contextual Communication

Studies show that students who with strong communication skills have a high chance of success. Both of my kids are published authors, and in my spare time, I help them with their writing projects.


This interview is brought to you by  

Women in Auto Care

The Women in Auto Care community is dedicated to it's mission of connecting, empowering and mentoring women within the auto care industry.

One of the key pillars of Women in Auto Care is mentorship. Our mentoring program allows participants to engage in a variety of ways, including group discussions and more intimate one-on-one partnerships. Learn more