Benetia Davis-Williams has had a lifelong fascination with automobiles. Her passion propelled her into a profession in automotive engineering. She worked on chrome plating bumpers during her high school years by taking advantage of a co-op with Cadillac.
Today, the Detroit native is Cadillac’s lead vehicle systems engineer. She told Essence, “For my very first job, I thought I was going to be a teacher. I was working part-time as a teacher’s aide for an elementary school at the time. And I realized that wasn’t for me. So when I was at the co-op, I thought, ‘ This is it. I like to tinker, and I like to make things. I’m a crafter.’ So, everything fell into place. After I graduated from high school, I did a presentation with the people at the co-op to sponsor me to attend GMI, the General Motors Institute. They said yes.”
She progressed from chrome plating to blueprint work until landing a job at the Detroit Hamtramck, where she worked on the assembly line with her quality line supervisor before rising to the position of test engineer on Cadillacs for General Motors.
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Soon after, she was tasked with designing the exterior components of cars, such as the headlights, taillights, windshields, and body side moldings.
She kept refining and using her abilities, energy, and knowledge at the organization, which gave her the chance to advance and reach her current position.
In her present role, Davis-Williams oversees both the external components and the body structure, ensuring that they adhere to government regulations.
She proudly declared, “Our latest project is the Cadillac OPTIQ, and I got the whole outside of the vehicle. That’s all me, except for tires and wheels.”
Despite her expertise in her field, the inspiring leader has learned to highlight her presence as a Black woman in authority, given that others mistake her male colleagues for leaders.
She explained, “Being the only Black person in the room is always interesting. A lot of times, when you’re dealing with people in a male-dominated space, they automatically go to the man instead of talking to you. It gets a little annoying, but for me, I just make sure they understand I’m the person that’s in charge. I always go in and say, ‘Hello, my name is, and this is what I do.’ So they know to come to me, not my male counterpart.”
Since observing that Black and Brown women are underrepresented in STEM and the automotive sector, Davis-Williams has made it her mission to share her experiences and inform young girls about the opportunities that await them.
Speaking at schools whenever she can, she tells females about STEM jobs and mentions that GM also offers affinity clubs, such as one that instructs Detroit’s young people about how to pursue this career path.
She stated, “Working in STEM is important, especially for women. Everyone can apply engineering to their everyday life. And I want to make sure that the girls coming up see that.”
