As INFINITI rolls out the 2027 QX65, Ashli Bobo and Lloryn Love-Carter discuss leadership, representation and connecting with Black consumers.
Ashli Bobo, director of communications, and Lloryn Love-Carter, senior manager of corporate communications, are two Black women helping shape communications at Nissan’s luxury brand as the 2027 INFINITI QX65 rolls out to dealerships nationwide. They say representation and creating opportunities for others remain central to their work.
TheGrio spoke to Bobo and Love-Carter during a recent media event in Nashville, Tennessee, where they discussed their careers, leadership and the role communications plays in introducing new vehicles to consumers and the media. Throughout the event, women led many of the presentations and experiences, with senior communications specialist Alyssa Cole helping coordinate the weekend and Kim Coure, senior manager of residual value strategy, presenting the QX65 to journalists.
The launch comes as Nissan continues to reshape its lineup. In July, a company executive announced the Altima will be discontinued after the 2027 model year, ending the mid-size sedan’s nearly 35-year run. The Sentra is expected to become Nissan’s primary sedan, according to Car and Driver. At the same time, INFINITI is rolling out the QX65, which began arriving at dealerships in June.
Before media guests had the opportunity to test-drive the luxury SUV, Coure explained what the model represents for INFINITI and where it fits within the automaker’s future.
“This is the third vehicle in our lineup right now of SUVs, and even more important, it marks the renaissance of the brand for us. We’re launching five new products over the next five years to really change the brand and really invigorate where we are as a brand for INFINITI,” Coure told media guests during the Nashville presentation.
Inspired by the INFINITI FX, the QX65 features a coupe-like silhouette, Japanese-inspired design and driver-assistance technology. Coure said the model reflects the brand’s next chapter.
For Bobo and Love-Carter, launching a new vehicle is only part of the job. It is also about how consumers see the brand and who they see representing it. Both Detroit natives came to Nissan with previous public relations experience. Bobo held roles at several companies before entering the automotive industry, while Love-Carter previously worked at Ford Motor Co. and held other public relations positions.
The two communication leaders say representation, visibility and creating opportunities for others are just as important.
Men have historically dominated the automotive industry, and 68% of nearly 600 automotive professionals surveyed across more than 25 countries said women were underrepresented in leadership positions, according to Deloitte’s 2025 “Women at the Wheel” industry study.
Bobo and Love-Carter understand the significance of entering spaces where they may be the first or only women who look like them. Bobo shared that her parents encouraged her to be “comfortable” in those moments, a lesson she has carried throughout her career.
“We see that a lot, just as: A, women in automotive; B, Black people in automotive; and then C, combined both, Black women in automotive. And so, I think it is very rare that you see two Black women in roles like Lloryn and I. This is actually the first time I’ve seen it, or I’ve experienced it,” Bobo said.
For Bobo, creating change also means using her leadership position to ensure different communities are reflected throughout the company and among the consumers it serves.
“I want to make change. I want to leave a role better than it was before I stepped into it,” Bobo said. “And a part of that, to me, is making sure there’s representation across our business, across our function, across our customer base that reflects everyone and not just one population.”
Love-Carter also encouraged Black women interested in the automotive industry to recognize the value of their perspectives and confidently take up space.
“Be okay having a voice. Be okay having an opinion. Be comfortable with that,” she said. “It is very male-dominated, but I do think that there are opportunities.”
“I find that there’s women who still wait to be invited. Stop waiting to be invited. Own it,” Love-Carter added. “Bring what you know into the room. Don’t hold back. Don’t wait to be asked. Move.”
Their focus on representation also shapes how they communicate with consumers. For Bobo, connecting with Black consumers means ensuring they feel welcomed and can see themselves reflected in the brand.
“For INFINITI, it’s all about not just luxury; it’s about the client experience and the hospitality of it as well. At INFINITI, we call it thoughtful hospitality,” Bobo said. “We want customers to feel like when they come to INFINITI, they get an experience that’s unlike any other.”
She described the brand as “accessible luxury” and said that Black consumers often upgrade from “mass market brands” to the INFINITI when purchasing their first luxury vehicle. Overall, the company wants customers to feel welcomed throughout their experience with the brand.
Love-Carter shared her personal experience as someone who previously owned an INFINITI before joining the company.
“I felt like there was something really sexy and savvy about the brand that I really liked. I think it was the line of the cars, [the shape]. It just felt very feminine to me,” she said.
Bobo said Black consumers should “see themselves” in the brand, and that specialists like Coure on the team help market products effectively to the Black audience.
“I believe that in a luxury brand, you need to see representation that looks like you, identifies like you [and] knows some of the things that are relevant to you,” she said.