How many years have you been with the business and what are your career highlights?

I’ve worked for the business for over 13 years in a variety of roles. I’m pleased to have had the opportunity to collaborate across various departments within the organisation, as it has provided me with valuable insights and knowledge. I began my career at KINTO, previously known as IFS, as a Customer Services Team Leader, and through the years I have had the opportunity to experience various promotions as well as lateral transitions which have enhanced my expertise. This has also helped me to gain a comprehensive understanding and overview of our operations, enabling me to provide support to others and as well to understand how every decision is being made and its impact on the different departments.

In terms of my career highlights, I’ve won a number of our internal employee recognition awards for Best Manager, Head of Function, etc. At one point I won an award for 7 years in a roll. All these recognitions mean a lot to me because they were being voted by colleagues and in some cases customers who approached senior members to compliment my work. It’s incredibly rewarding that people see the value in what I do. Over the years, I’ve often been approached by peers asking for my opinion or encouraging me to take on some of the internal roles where they could see I can add value while further developing my career.

Being acknowledged by customers and colleagues is one of the biggest achievements I can wish for.

What does a typical day look like for you?

It might sound like a cliche but there really isn’t a typical day at the moment. KINTO One is still a relatively new product so there are many projects going on to help us streamline processes, further improve our offerings, etc.

In terms of my role, I try to split it in 3 sections. The 1st one is management of the KINTO One direct sales team. My role involves looking after the team, guiding them, setting the standards, and making sure they’ve got the tools, systems and abilities to do what they need to do to be successful in line with the current market challenges our industry is facing.

The 2nd one is acting as a ‘go to’ for the other businesses within the Toyota family, anyone who has a touch point with KINTO One, for example colleagues who work for TGB and TFS, centres, etc. I’m involved in all discussions about changes, opportunities, and educational pieces.

And the 3rd section is being a mini project manager, looking at the products, improvements and processes, routes to market, as well as making sure that we are compliant, adherent to the laws and legislations such as the new consumer duty policies coming into place.

As we’re looking after personal contract hires, something which is relatively new for the business, I also make sure that when business decisions are being made, we consider every aspect which may affect the customer journey, or in other words, trying to be the voice of the customer.

What are you currently working on?

As I said my project list is rapidly changing, but the main things I’m looking at the moment are related to product advertisement, increasing sales performance including via an online offering, and reviewing some of the customer documentation which involves consumer duty, so a lot of my time is dedicated to that.

What are you interests outside work?

Football is a huge part of my life. I’m a Tottenham season ticket holder attending almost every single home game in all competitions every year. I also attend around 50% of the away games including European matches. This season alone I have been to Lisbon, Marseille and Milan watching Spurs. I love travelling to away games especially European trips. When not watching Spurs, I also play football for a local team.

Outside of football, I love spending time with my family, although my daughter is currently away at Oxford studying for a Masters in Global Governance and Diplomacy. I’ve recently been helping her with her CV as she’s applying for internships for when she graduates. She wants to either work in Seoul, South Korea or Beijing, China. I’m very proud of how well she’s doing.

What are the advantages of KINTO One?

For us customer satisfaction is extremely important, and as a member of the Toyota family, our customers can expect a standardised journey throughout every step of the process. We offer the same level of support from start to finish, as we have the advantage of being part of a strong global brand like Toyota.

Another advantage is the great flexibility of the service. Our aim is to create experience where our customers are in control and can configure everything about the vehicle and tailor the contract to their individual needs.

Although we face challenges as every business in the industry at the moment, we’re also experiencing exciting times at KINTO with many opportunities for the future and this has meant I’ve never enjoyed my job so much.