May 19, 2025 —
DETROIT – Jana Rosenmann, president, Piston Automotive (a subsidiary of the Piston Group family of companies) has been named among 100 Leading Women in the North American Auto Industry by Automotive News. Jana and her co-honorees are featured in the May 19 issue and will be celebrated at a gala at The Henry in Dearborn, Mich., hosted by Automotive News.
100 Leading Women in the North American Auto Industry recognizes female leaders in the automotive field – those who make major decisions and have significant influence at their companies. Automotive News has published the list of the industry’s top female executives every five years since 2000.
This sixth list includes engineers, mobility leaders, manufacturing and marketing executives, financiers, dealer principals and designers.
Rosenmann is a highly strategic senior executive from the automotive and defense industries, with experience in large P&L, strategy and transformation roles. Prior to joining Piston Automotive, Rosenmann served as an executive vice president for ZF Group and led the Electronics & Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) Division. Her responsibilities included growing and transforming the business, providing organizational leadership to develop and articulate strategy, implementing business plans and managing operations.
Rosenmann was born and educated in South Africa. Her first job was in the mining industry as an export manager. She left South Africa when she was 26 and studied for a master’s degree in the United Kingdom. In 1998, Rosenmann moved to Germany and accepted an internship at the United Nations. She then moved on to research assistant at the German Ministry of Defense.
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Rosenmann earned a master’s degree in international relations theory & European Studies from the University of Kent (London Centre of International Relations). She also holds a bachelor of commerce degree from the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
“Over the last 25 years, on six lists of Leading Women, Automotive News has honored 442 executives. This year’s group of Leading Women has 24 presidents and CEOs and nine other C-suite executives; the first group, in 2000, had 14 presidents and CEOs and five others in the C-suite,” said Mary Beth Vander Schaaf, Automotive News senior director of editorial operations
The 2025 class of Automotive News’ 100 Leading Women in the North American Auto Industry emerged from a months-long nomination and judging process that attracted hundreds of entries from the United States, Canada and Mexico.
“Our selection committee made many difficult decisions – it gets tougher every time,” said Vander Schaaf. “The talented, powerful executives on this list are at the forefront of thousands of successful women in the auto industry.”
Since 1925, Automotive News has been the primary source for news happening among automotive retailers, suppliers and manufacturers. Distinct from other publications in the field, Automotive News remains a fully subscriber-paid publication, a testament to the value it delivers to the reader. The award-winning weekly print edition, robust website, email newsletters, podcast and video broadcasts are backed by a global team of more than 65 editors and reporters.