For me, the best bit is the people. I’m surrounded by brilliant people who inspire and challenge me
I did a 12-month placement with a car manufacturer as part of my marketing degree. It was fascinating to see behind-the-scenes of a globally recognised brand, and to become a meaningful part of their business.
The placement was a great opportunity to learn quickly. I was lucky to work for two fantastic female managers who inspired me & supported my learning and development. I had real responsibility and freedom to innovate from day one, and the industry had me hooked from that year. It’s such a human business – there’s a customer at the centre of every transaction, and the people who work in the industry are central to their business’s success. I once did some work with a national housebuilder, and I was shocked to hear them refer to their customers simply as plot numbers. In over 20 years working in the automotive sector, I’ve never once heard anyone refer to a customer by anything other than their name.
After about 20 years in various marketing roles, I moved across to after sales in 2021 – working with our Toyota network partners to optimise their customer experience, develop their people & support business sustainability.
I’m lucky to genuinely love my job – I look forward to Monday mornings & I never take that for granted.
For me, the best bit is the people. I’m surrounded by brilliant people who inspire and challenge me – both at Toyota & in our network.
At Toyota, we have a culture of continuous improvement which is reflected in everything we do – including personal development. Even 20+ years into my career, Toyota is still actively investing in developing my skills and capabilities. And it’s a supportive environment – we all make time for each other, regardless of seniority, background or anything else.
But the bit I love most is that, as an area manager, I also get to work closely with the brilliant people in our retailer network. These are the people closest to our customers, who bring the brand to life & make it special for our customers every day.
The pace in the network is fast – it’s rewarding to see the impact of initiatives we implement in real-time, in the real-world. My best workdays are where I talk to a network Partner who’s feeling inspired and enthusiastic, or has tried something new & seen a positive impact as a result. Or perhaps something new didn’t work as expected, but we manage to take learnings from it that’ll support our future growth.
Relationship building is critical, as it’s such a human business. Being able to communicate effectively with a broad range of people has been key to success in the roles I’ve had.
I’ve also found that analytical skills are becoming increasingly relevant – there’s lots of data available and being able to draw out relevant insights, spotting patterns and opportunities, is a core part of how I can add value in my role.
I think one thing people underestimate is how much work goes into delivering a seamless customer experience. There’s a lot of effort behind the scenes, to make sure everything is as good as it can be for our customers.
Thinking about diversity, there’s no doubt that it’s still a male-dominated industry, but I’ve rarely found that to be an issue and I’m thrilled to see outstanding female talent becoming more prevalent and recognised over recent years – alongside great male talent. Gender doesn’t really come into play in my day-to-day work life.
It’s an exciting time to join the industry. There’s a lot of change, and we’re working on interesting new projects.
It’s a very competitive sector, so each brand has to work hard to win (and maintain) the No.1 spot in its customers’ hearts. Because of that, I think you need to be someone who thrives on challenge & wants to be an active contributor. But I’d say go for it – it’s really rewarding & there’s so much variety that you’ll never get bored.
