Barbara Cox Awards 2022 nominees: Nicola Gilda

Barbara Cox Awards 2022

nominees: Nicola Gilda

of Peoples Ford

Brief biography of you and your career

When finishing school at the age of 18, I studied at the University of Strathclyde and graduated with a postgraduate MSC in Human Resource Management. I have always had a passion for strategic insight, economics, change and people and how they are critical to the success of an organisation. My passion then led me to become a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

I am competitive; I always want to win. The success of the company is based on the combination of creativity and organisation – with people at the heart of both.

I joined Peoples Ford when I was 21 – my first role was working on the Service Department reception desk – and I was certainly on the front line. I moved on to work in various departments of the business and established a really good understanding of everything about the business. I was appointed to the board of Peoples Ford when I was 30 and have been the Group Strategy & Operations Director for over 7 years.

In 2007 I was appointed to the Ford of Britain Training & Development Board. In 2015 I was appointed to Ford of Europe’s Consumer Experience Council where I worked alongside Elena Ford, Ford’s Chief Customer Experience and the granddaughter of Henry Ford. Last year I was the first female ever to be appointed to the Ford European Dealer Council and work with Ford in Europe & Detroit as the representative of the 2,250 dealers across 22 European markets.

Tell us what this nomination means to you

Being nominated was my first surprise but to be shortlisted is truly humbling and I’m not going to lie, pretty exciting. Especially as the Award is designed and named after a woman who demonstrated commitment to innovation, leadership and community – all of which are so very important to me personally. It’s an honour to be shortlisted for the Award and I fully understand that it comes with great responsibility. As a single parent pursuing a career, I’m very aware of the importance of work life balance. That reality is what underpins my philosophy of ‘Family, Business, Community’. I have a passion for people and bringing out the best in them no matter what their circumstances or background. This nomination is helping us underscore our reputation in the industry as being a caring, high performing business of choice that is an integral part of the community and therefore an employment destination. No matter what happens, I will take this nomination and build on it. It will fuel our desire to become the most inclusive and diverse retailer in automotive. And if I am lucky enough to win you can be certain that it will light a bonfire under that ambition. It will also coincide with our new partnership working with Black Professionals Scotland #BlackScotInterns programme.

What advice would you give to a woman considering a career in automotive?

No matter where you look across automotive it is most likely going to be male dominated. Do not let the current under-representation of women put you off – it is changing. Also, do not feel like you need to be part of a movement. At Peoples Ford, and I think within the Ford retail network generally, you will be judged on your ability, attitude and potential – full stop. And you can go all the way to the top. In Peoples Ford we are pro-actively identifying female rising stars and working with them on their development. 50% of my current leadership team are women. We have female representation across every department in our business and it is growing.

What advice would you give your younger self on having a successful career?

Think outside the box. Take risks. Trust your gut. And when faced with a situation ask yourself, “what would you do if you weren’t afraid?” – it’s a well-known quote but often overlooked – try to remove the self-doubt as early as you can and continue to push forward, no matter what. Listen and learn but also, make sure your voice is heard and define your own success.