Isuzu boss Nikki King (who you may well have seen on Channel 4's 'Undercover Boss') will be joining us to talk about women and work, combining career with children (and grandchildren) and how it's never too late to follow your dream.
Nikki was, by her own admission, a 'late starter' and her rise to the top of the motoring business is nothing short of meteoric. "I was a secretary until the age of 40 when an unexpected divorce necessitated that I began a career that earned enough money to support myself and my children." So at 40 she started work at a Ford dealership, rising to the position of MD. She was offered the chance to launch the first UK distributorship for Isuzu Motors in 2004. Trucks and women may not be perceived as a natural combination - but Nikki has constantly confounded the perceived wisdom of ‘glass ceilings’ and the perception of a woman at the very top in a man’s world.
To quote Channel 4: "Believing strongly that to manage like a man is inelegant and ineffective, Nikki runs her company like a large family. She utilizes many of the skills that she learned bringing up her own family: time management, diplomacy, persuasion, politics, and negotiation.
She encourages working from home, job sharing, changing hours to suit domestic arrangements and bringing children to work if they are slightly unwell or the school is closed. The aim of this is to help many women, who have personal priorities such as children, elderly parents or husbands, to realise their true potential."
Since taking the motoring industry by storm, Nikki has picked up awards and accolades (including an OBE) and has been pinpointed as an inspirational figure in the industry for both men and women.
One of her chief obsessions includes customer care so she is also very happy to talk about that. She is also passionate about helping young people (she is a business mentor for the Prince's Trust) and would love to somehow use the knowledge and experience of older, maybe retired people in a mentoring role to help young people learn the skills they need to get employment. "So much wasted talent at both ends of the scale".
Do add your questions and suggestions on any of the above to the thread and make sure you join us for the live webchat on January 10th (1-2pm).