I graduated from Cardiff University in 2000 with a BSc (Econ) in Accounting and Management. I joined Enterprise Rent-A-Car as a Graduate Management Trainee and am now Head of Revenue Management for the UK & Ireland.
Prior to graduating I didn’t really know what I wanted to do and I certainly didn’t foresee myself joining an international organisation that I would still be progressing with 14 years later! I had decided that I didn’t want to continue with my accountancy-specific studies, as I preferred to explore a more managerial career path but with an eye on still using my numerical skills along the way. I was keen to get out into the ‘real world’, earn some money and start a career with a company that would both challenge me and provide opportunities to progress quickly based on my own performance.
From starting off as a Management Trainee everything was a big, but very fast, learning curve, before getting the opportunity to start to lead others as an Assistant Manager, then Manager of my own branch within three years. This meant I was responsible for my employees, the customer service we delivered as well as the growth and profitability of the business – not to mention ensuring the safe keeping of the hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of the company’s assets!
In what seemed like relatively no time at all I had learnt a great deal about the business and how to successfully lead a team within it, giving me the platform to take on an Area Manager position covering many of our central London operations and being responsible for 30-40 employees – it was hard work, full of diverse responsibilities, eye-opening, and fun, but certainly rewarding in all kinds of ways.
One of the great things that I can say about Enterprise is the fact that in every role that I’ve had at Enterprise I’ve faced new challenges, but always learned new skills too. Along the way I have been given the opportunity to take on further responsibilities and directly impact the business I am part of – at Enterprise we all contribute to the success of the business.
A big piece of advice I would give to anybody joining is to always keep a consistent focus on what it takes to stand out from your peers whilst working as part of a team. Make sure that you are always looking for the next opportunity – the next step in your career! This isn’t always easy in a fast moving, ever busy company like Enterprise but it’s how I’ve seen many successful people progress on to bigger and better things within our organisation.
Last year I got promoted to my current role which means I’m now leading the Revenue Management team who work closely with our circa 400 rental operations across UK and Ireland to analyse market conditions, monitor demand, fleet and pricing opportunities. Ultimately we are responsible for helping provide information and solutions that will help us win in what is a very competitive marketplace, so that we grow our Retail business in line with our goals.
Sounds interesting? Apply now!
