Jennifer, our Group Director of People and Development

Responsible for all human resource activity, Jennifer has been part of the team for over 5 years. She's our go to person and is responsible for all employee engagement and development across the Peoples Ford Group. Learn more about Jennifer in our Q&A below.

What did you want to be when you were growing up?

My earliest memory would be an air hostess, which quickly changed to a teacher and then to a psychologist. If I’m honest I didn’t really know what I wanted to do, other than I knew I enjoyed dealing with people. I realised that the world of HR could be a good fit and I haven’t looked back since. There are days that can be incredibly challenging, particularly in this industry, however it can also be an extremely rewarding role! I wish I had written a book about the life of HR in the motor industry as there is never a dull day - but I’m not sure people would believe some of the stories!

What do you consider your greatest achievement? (Work)

Being promoted to my first HR management role. I started in the industry as a quiet HR administrator who had no experience working in the world of HR and was basically in charge of filing. I was incredibly lucky to have a manager at the time who took me under her wing and mentored me. Her passion and enthusiasm for the role pushed me completely out of my comfort zone and enabled me to progress in my professional career very quickly.

What was your most embarrassing moment?

I was 13 years old and performed in a Christmas musical for a local primary school. My task was simply to dress up as a snowman and sing Frosty the Snowman – I got on stage and completely forgot every word – for the duration of the song I just sung the first line over and over again. It resulted in 100 primary school children laughing and booing me off stage! And there ended my musical career.

Who or what is the greatest love of your life?

I will try not to get myself into trouble here! If we take people out of the equation then most definitely my dog – probably not a shock to anyone who works at Peoples Ford! He is a handful but there isn’t a day when he doesn’t make me laugh!

What do you owe your parents?

I consider myself to be extremely lucky, they are genuinely such loving people. From an early age they drilled into me that I could be anything I wanted to, providing I worked hard. This has certainly stuck with me throughout my career and they have supported me every step of the way.


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