In light of International Women's Day last week, we caught up with some of the fantastic female colleagues who help make Mercedes-Benz.
Mercedes-Benz in the UK
To work at Mercedes-Benz is to be surrounded by amazing products and - more importantly - passionate people.
Sally Davies, Head of Digital and Sales Programmes within UK Customer Services, Mercedes-Benz Cars
“I started my career working for an events and marketing agency within the automotive industry, before moving to a different marketing agency that, at the time, supported Mercedes-Benz. During this period, I had the chance to work with our franchise partners and Mercedes-Benz field teams, consulting on CRM and Lead Generation. Many of the relationships I built then are still active today.
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“I then began working directly for Mercedes Benz, 11 years ago. Since then, I've experienced working across the entire Customer Journey in my previous position as Head of Marketing and now in Customer Services”.
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“My current role is very broad and is about juggling the operations of today to deliver our yearly targets, whilst strategically planning for the longer term, with a particular focus on the digital transformation of our overall Customer Services. No day is ever the same and this is what I love about the role, including all the different and brilliant people I get to work with.
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“We have talked a lot about working in a VUCA environment for some time now and it’s so true today. We are dealing with the expected as well as the growing unexpected every day. My leadership experience here has taught me that you cannot tackle the unexpected on your own. Never before have our business areas been so intertwined. We work together as a team and you need a good network of people around you to overcome challenges together.
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“I’ve learned a lot here – particularly to be brave and push yourself out of your comfort zone. When I moved from Marketing to Customer Services, people didn't understand the move. But after six years, its transformed me as a Leader. I'm better informed, more commercially aware, able to deal with complexity and juggle the variables! The best bit is working with so many interesting people with brilliant skills.
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“It’s important to be yourself at work, too. When I started, I felt I needed to mirror myself on the people around me until someone told me that being yourself at work is important; let people know about you, this is what creates connections. This was a pivotal moment for me.
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“This business is full of incredible, interesting, and skilled people. Everyone has something to offer and it’s these people that have created the contemporary and positive culture we enjoy today. I really urge everybody to take an interest in continuing to drive our culture forwards. It’s something I’m passionate about, and it’s everyone’s job.”
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Marsha Thomas - Head of Marketing, Product & Customer Experience
Mercedes-Benz Vans
“My career in automotive began as a PR and Marketing Executive for a Vauxhall Dealer group. I learned on my feet, worked my way up to roles with more responsibilities and after 11 years in retail, I moved to Petronas.
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“With Petronas, I unlocked opportunities to travel all over the world and became the first female in Europe to take on a ‘Head Of’ position within the business.
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“This saw me manage a talented team of 25, who represented the lubricants division in the UK. Achieving this milestone in my career was far from easy, and there were many challenges along the way. But I truly believe that if you work hard, show tenacity, act with integrity, and collaborate with others, the results will speak for themselves.
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“I started at Mercedes-Benz Vans as Head of Marketing, Product and Customer Experience back in October 2023. I was drawn to the role because it’s so varied. It’s exciting to see the products and services we launch, but most importantly, I’ve inherited a great team.
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“The common learning throughout my career is that your team is your biggest strength – they are at the heart of any business. For me, looking after your people is your biggest responsibility and the most rewarding quality as a business leader. Making fundamental decisions that have an impact on people needs to be taken with the utmost integrity and care.
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“Wherever you are in your career today, look after your team, respect your peers, and keep building your wider network of contacts. They’ll become an incredible support system that will make work easier and much more fun!”
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Tracy Trehy, Demand and Delivery Programme Manager
Mercedes-Benz Financial Services
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“I work in the MBFS Sales and Marketing Division and we support the end to end sales process to help generate more portfolio growth and retain customers. I manage all the project demand, allocate programme managers and help to deliver any changes needed. I also support on wider business topics, projects and programmes.
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“I love collaborating with other people. It’s motivating to work with like-minded people on a complex topic and come together to deliver against strict timelines, I love that about my job.
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“I’ve had a ‘squiggly’ career. I became a qualified florist and landscape gardener before moving into the corporate sector and have now worked for Mercedes Benz for almost 20 years in a variety of roles, from Customer Operations to IT, and now Sales & Marketing.
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“Because of the number of different areas that I’ve worked in, and the skills I’ve built, I can turn my hand to most things. I see challenge as an opportunity. I’ve learned not be defeatist or take no for an answer. Look for the opportunity in everything and also trust your gut as much as you would listen to the people around you.
“I love the prestige of working for the Mercedes-Benz brand. And the people make it easier to come into work every day – everybody wants to do a fantastic job and make a difference.”