Finding Your Yardstick : Women in Fleet Management and the Power of Mentorship
WORDS BY ANBY ALCOMENDAS
Women are making significant strides in the fleet and automotive industries , and one example is Emily Pang from Hino Motors Australia . As the Department Manager , Sales Operations and Supply Chain , she leads a team that manages everything from vehicle production planning to pricing . With 15 years of experience , Emily has built a strong career , but she credits much of her success to mentorship .
Building a Career in Automotive
Emily ’ s first job in the automotive industry was as a Supply Chain Analyst at Toyota right after university . Despite studying statistics and finance , she quickly realized that accounting wasn ’ t for her . After months of searching , she applied for a role at Toyota and recalls being asked , “ Have you ever heard of the Prius ?” She hadn ’ t , but that moment marked the start of her 11-year journey at Toyota . Emily thrived in a rotation program , which allowed her to explore various roles across the company and broaden her perspective .
Emily then transitioned to SMA , a German company in the renewable energy sector , managing sales operations for the Asia-Pacific region . She found the shift to a growing industry exciting and discovered a passion for new technologies , particularly in hybrid and hydrogen vehicles .
At Hino Motors , Emily leads a diverse team responsible for planning sales operations , vehicle production , and pricing . Despite her team ’ s small size , the role involves a wide variety of tasks , which she finds both challenging and exciting .
The Influence of Mentorship
Mentorship has played a key role in Emily ’ s career . She believes that access to both formal mentorship programs , like those at AfMA , and informal guidance from past colleagues has been invaluable . “ I have been able to accumulate all these mentors in my life ,” she says , describing them as her “ yardsticks ”— people who help her assess situations and break down challenges into manageable tasks .
34 ISSUE 50 DECEMBER 2024 / WWW . AFMA . ORG . AU