HOUSTON, April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Sonic Automotive, Inc. (NYSE: SAH), is hosting its first women's leadership symposium in Houston, Texas on Sunday, April 28th at the Hotel Zaza.  This marks the first in a series of leadership development programs the company is launching under CEO David Smith and President Jeff Dyke and aligns with the leadership team's commitment to building a culture of inclusion and creating opportunities for female leaders at all levels within the company. The symposium is open to all female associates working at Sonic Automotive and EchoPark Automotive dealerships in Houston.

Sonic's women's leadership symposium is hosted by Maria Moncada-Alaoui, General Manager of BMW of West Houston and Marianna Brasel, General Manager of Porsche West Houston. Both women began their careers in entry-level positions within dealerships and have successfully risen through the ranks to run two of Sonic's most successful dealerships in the Houston market. As a result of their success, both women are passionate about fostering leadership growth and development opportunities for females in the automotive industry.

"Marianna and I have benefitted from having strong mentors throughout our careers who encouraged us to take risks," said Maria Moncada-Alaoui. "Helping other women in our company find their voice through this development program is our way to pay it forward."

Sonic Automotive is partnering with several top leadership coaches who will deliver training to attendees and provide follow-up coaching and mentoring after the event. Speakers at this inaugural event include Jacqueline Jasionowski, Founder of Shift Awake Group; Lisa Schenk, PhD., President of Schenk Communications Group; Betsy Sobiech, COO of Tiara International, LLC and a panel discussion featuring several female Sonic executives will be led by Emmy-award winning journalist Linda Lorelle.

"David Smith and I are incredibly proud of Maria and Marianna for spearheading this event and being dedicated to helping other women in our company," said Jeff Dyke, President of Sonic Automotive. "It's extremely important for Sonic to foster an inclusive environment for all of our associates and empower our female associates to develop their careers in what has been a highly male-dominated industry. Maria and Marianna are two great examples of what women can achieve in their careers at Sonic Automotive."

Please visit sonicautomotive.com to learn more about career opportunities at Sonic Automotive.

About Sonic Automotive
Sonic Automotive, Inc. (NYSE: SAH), is a Fortune 500 company based in Charlotte, N.C., and is one of the nation's largest automotive retailers with operations in 13 states. Sonic can be reached on the web at www.sonicautomotive.com.

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SOURCE Sonic Automotive, Inc.