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Susan Gubasta has deep roots in the car business. Her dad owned several dealerships in Canada and he passed his passion down to her.

Today, Gubasta is president and CEO of Mississauga Toyota Scion – one of just a handful of women who hold that sort of automotive job in Canada.

Gubasta worked her way up the corporate ladder more than 20 years ago, learning the ropes. It wasn't always smooth sailing.

"When I was learning, specifically in service and parts, people wouldn't take me seriously because I was a female and I'm not technical," says Gubasta. "I don't need to be technical. I have technical people I work with that can answer those questions. I'm there to help run the business and steer things in the right direction. But people didn't take me seriously because, 'Well, you're just a girl and what do you know?'"

But she persevered. "There's going to be naysayers no matter where you are and what you do," Gubasta says. "You rise above it and keep driving forward."

Perceptions started to shift when she became general manager. "The last 10 years have been amazing because I was embraced right from the get-go working with other dealers from the Toyota brand," she says. "I felt so intimidated walking into meetings, but they embraced me and it was a whole different world. When you get to that level, they think, 'She is here for a reason – she has proved herself.'"

Out of 82 Toyota dealerships in Ontario, Gubasta is one of only four females at the helm.

"The auto industry is male-dominated. The difficulty is the hours. We are a store. We are a retail environment. We're open until nine o'clock Monday to Thursday and Saturday, so women that have families find it more difficult to manage and have the proper balance in their lives," says Gubasta, who is a mother of a seven-year-old son.

Gubasta strives to mentor young women, especially employees such as Sarah White, 25. White is the only female service adviser on staff. She knows cars. Her dad is a mechanic, her family drag races for fun, and she worked at Chrysler's National Parts Distribution Centre to pay for university. Despite her background, she faces stereotypes often.

"The hardest part was my first day walking in as a service adviser and being introduced to all the men, especially because I was replacing another male," says White. "These men had a look on their face – being young and female – this girl doesn't know what's going on with cars. I had that predisposition to overcome. Once you're able to show your numbers those looks change."

It wasn't just male co-workers who had preconceived notions. "I had a woman who was a bit chauvinistic. She wanted to hear specifically from a man," says White. "So it's not necessarily men that perceive it that way."

She's even stereotyped when answering the phone. "They think I'm the receptionist. They'll say, 'I just asked to be transferred to an adviser.' I'll say I'm the service adviser. I had one man actually say, 'Oh sorry. I didn't mean to be a sexist prick.'"

White says the key to overcoming stereotypes is to work hard and show customers you care. "You keep professional," she says. "You keep calm. Then they realize I do have extensive knowledge and I do care about their vehicle. Once that is established, then they break down that barrier."

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