Winners 2019

How a company reacts in the face of a range of crises is crucial, especially for a large organisation such as Jaguar Land Rover. It’s Jemma’s job to ensure that Jaguar Land Rover has exercised plans in place to deal with anything from terrorist incidents and natural disasters to the extreme disruption of production or sales. She was hired in 2015 and has had a big impact on Jaguar Land Rover’s approach to business continuity planning, according to her senior manager, Andrew James. Her work has persuaded the Jaguar Land Rover board to put business continuity at the top of the agenda, adopting her framework – called JLR Prepared – underpinned by a corporate policy. As James says: “Not too shabby for one person within this large organisation.”

Clare’s decision last year to shift from her recognised skill set of marketing and into the more operational area of sales planning is evidence of her drive and ambition, according to nominator Chris Larholt, Mazda UK’s sales planning and distribution manager. In this role Clare has been instrumental in developing a fresh way to launch new cars, as well as liaising with Mazda in Japan over issues surrounding last year’s introduction of the new WLTP emissions regulations. She also takes the lead on contingency plans surrounding Brexit. Clare joined Mazda in 2008 as a franchise coordinator and has progressed quickly to middle management. She has much further to go, said Larholt, citing her ability to adapt as well as being a “considered voice of reason” in her team.

Cassandra – Cassie – has firmly made her mark on Nissan UK’s customer services operations after being promoted to the role in 2016. The call centre team was named one of the most improved by the Institute of Customer Service in January last year, and it then won four awards, including two from the UK Contact Centre Forum: Best Small Contact Centre and Best Complaint Management Team. Cassie started at Nissan in 2002 after gaining a degree in geography from the University of Hull, and she has since worked in a number of areas ranging from sales and advertising to network development. In 2011 she was appointed as Nissan Academy training manager, where she launched the Nissan Academy Accreditation programme. Her ambition is to continue to develop her career in the motor industry and eventually achieve an executive board-level position.

Anna has impressed Jardine Motors’ management by increasing the income from finance and insurance (point-of-sale add-ons such as GAP insurance) from £1.4 million to £4.4 million at the 18 dealerships for which she is responsible since joining in 2015. Prior to that Anna worked for HR Owen, where she covered two Bentley dealerships and won two business manager of the year awards within the Bentley network. Since joining Jardine she has completed the company’s leadership programme and aims to be the first female brand director.

Although not a vice president, Stephanie sits on Aston Martin’s executive committee, reporting directly to CEO Andy Palmer. In a role akin to that of chief of staff, Stephanie runs the executive and operating committees and acts as a sounding board for teams across the business. Stephanie joined Aston Martin in 2009 as a corporate finance and commercial contracts lawyer. She has recently moved into a senior commercial role after managing the delivery of key strategic projects, including the acquisition and construction of Aston Martin’s new plant at St Athan, south Wales and the company’s listing on the London Stock Exchange.

Francesca’s creditable rise up the ladder since joining the industry in 2012 has led to her current role working with Volkswagen Group MD Alex Smith, giving her an enviable overview of an industry she had already learnt much about. Francesca was first hired by PSA Group on its graduate programme after she gained a first-class degree in business from Durham University, and there she gathered experience in areas such as communications and aftersales. She switched to the VW Group in 2016, joining as a planning manager responsible for improving Audi’s and Skoda’s financial forecasting. She won her current promotion at the beginning of this year, impressing Smith, who praised her “impressive work rate” and her desire to grow her understanding of the UK’s largest automotive national sales company.

Tina joined the UK dealer group as a dealership accountant in 2012 and was promoted to her senior role in 2015, since when she has been responsible for not only Liverpool but also all of the group’s Audi dealers in the northwest – a region that generates a £266 million turnover for Jardine. She has coached all Audi accountants on manufacturer systems and has produced a number of guides on best practices, making her an expert in the field. Tina has been nominated for accountant of the year three times in the JMG Leadership Conference awards, and won twice, most recently at this year's event.