CMO Melody Lee Works to Make Mercedes the Brand that Champions Women

The automotive industry is notoriously male dominated, but in the last decade, women have become prominent leaders. While gender-based parity has not been achieved, companies have made strides toward equality.

Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) is ranked highly on Newsweek's list of America's Greatest Workplaces for Women 2025, earning 4.5 out of 5 stars, a rating matched by Michelin and Daimler Trucks North America. Rivian, Harley-Davidson and Toyota were given four-star rankings.

The ratings, presented by Plant-A Insights Group and Newsweek, are based on data available about supportive workplace policies that actively focus on diversity and inclusion.

"I don't necessarily think that it's always accurate that automotive is a place that is unfriendly to women," Melody Lee, chief marketing officer at Mercedes-Benz USA, told Newsweek. "I've been able to make a career in it, and a lot of women have, but we need a signal like this award that this industry is open to all and open to a diversity of talent and perspective."

Lee's pathway to success was influenced by strong women who came before her. She said: "I draw inspiration from those who came before me, the women who not only go into a room with confidence but sit at the table. They make themselves known. They make their presence known. They champion the voices of others in the room. The best women leaders that I've seen come before me are the ones who have said to all the other women in the room, 'What do you think?' so that other women have a voice."

It wasn't just the way women uplifted other women that influenced Lee, it was the way they conducted themselves in the workplace. "In those early days of being in crisis communications, I would sit in war rooms managing some major acquisitions, or mergers or crises, and it was always amazing to see the women that would be in the room with me. These were the women that were called upon in companies' deepest moments of crisis, just because of just how calm, self-possessed and effective they were. They knew their space, and they needed to navigate through something that was intense."

Among those women that showed Lee the way are Amy Paddock, now executive vice president at Burson, whom Lee worked with early in her career. "I remember being in complete awe of her and how organized she was and how she just lifted all those young women around her up," Lee said.

After Lee left crisis communications, she worked at General Motors during a pivotal time in the company's history. "I was alongside Mary Barra during the ignition switch recall, and to see a woman under fire and to perform with like such grace is inspiring. I will always look up to Mary," Lee said.

As she sits in her current role, Lee is inspired by the way Heike Scheuble, vice president and managing director Vans, helped her navigate company terrain. "Heike took me under her wing as soon as I joined the company. She cares a lot about people and was such a fantastic example right out of the gate here at Mercedes-Benz. I'll always be grateful," she said.

MBUSA's parent company, Mercedes-Benz, has a number of initiatives to uplift women throughout the world in their workplace.

Lee said: "In male-dominated industries, it's important to have these programs that signal that women are seen in a company and provided with tools to really succeed.

"We have both a business resource group called DriveHer that champions women and allows them to find space and time with one another, as well as training and development programs that are similar to initiatives coming out of headquarters."

Raising women up at MBUSA goes beyond employee initiatives. Lee is able to affect change through marketing, examining casting for advertising. "Does the driver of an AMG in a TV commercial always have to be a man? It does not," she said.

Further, Lee is utilizing MBUSA assets to propel the company into one that brings women together across different industries. "In April at the Augusta National Women's Amateur, which is the weekend before the Masters, we will bring together 40 executive women from across different industries again this year who are influential leaders in their respective disciplines to network and inspire each other," Lee explained.

Whether leading in the boardroom, the office next door, or on television, Lee said that it's important for women to show up for each other. "It's not just about having a voice yourself and demonstrating that you can have one, but it is really going several steps further. It's not just about having a voice yourself and demonstrating that you can have one, but it's also allowing space and allowing time for other people to have that voice, other women in particular. To me, that's real leadership. That's a real champion."

Correction 4/5/2025, 3:45 p.m. ET: The spelling of Burson has been corrected.