‘I went over with two suitcases and the rest is history’

The motor industry is a lot more women-friendly than it used to be, but in some areas women are still significantly underrepresented. The commercial-vehicles segment is a case in point, although this is beginning to change. Just over two years ago Cork-born Elaine Martin was appointed product manager for Ranger pickup truck and light commercial vehicles for Ford of Britain and Ireland.

Martin comes from Ballinhassig, a village not far from Cork city, and when the time came to look for work placement as part of her postgraduate business studies course at the University of Galway, she approached Ford of Ireland for a job.

That was in 2001 and she has stayed with the company ever since, working first in Cork and then in Dublin with Ford Credit before going to the UK two years later for what was supposed to be a two-year assignment. Twenty years on, Martin is still with the company, having spent time working in the UK market and for Ford of Europe from her base at Billericay in Essex.

Ford is known for developing in-house talent and Martin has climbed the ladder there steadily, gaining experience in multiple aspects of the business from marketing and the digital side to pricing, yield management, passenger products, production planning and, most recently, commercial vehicles.

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“When I got the chance to go to the UK, I thought sure why not, I have no ties at the moment and it’s only a short flight home,” she says. “I went over with two suitcases and, as the saying goes, the rest is history.

I had to get used to the ramifications of very different buying behaviour in the UK. At home people tend to hold on to their cars for longer

“I met and married my [Scottish] husband Gavin, and we have two sons and are very settled here now. At the same time, my career at Ford has gone in a really good direction. The motor industry is very dynamic with a great buzz and plenty of excitement around new product launches, so there is literally never a dull moment.

“Ford is a big organisation, and you’re encouraged to work across the company to build your knowledge and business acumen. I’m lucky to have had such exposure to so many aspects of the operation and experience of working with 20-plus European markets. I’ve recently overseen the Ranger launch, and we have an all-electric Transit Courier on the way which I’ll also see through to its launch next year. After that it may be time for a change, as I would like to progress further within the company.”

[ Wild Geese: Séamus McDermott, Ford of Europe programme chief ]

Martin says the working environment in the UK was a bit of a culture shock when she first arrived as she had come from a small operation where everyone was on first-name terms with the dealers.

“Here it’s a totally different and the relationship is more formal. Also, because the network is so much bigger, there’s a lot more demarcation and structure. I also had to get used to the ramifications of very different buying behaviour in the UK. At home people tend to hold on to their cars for longer, whereas over here it’s common for someone to change every nine to 12 months.”

With two boys aged nine and 12 constantly on the go, much of Martin’s personal time revolves around their busy lives. “I try to get involved with their school as well as with their sports activities, and if I need to take a few hours off to go to something at the school, the company is okay with that. This family-friendly flexibility really takes the pressure off at times,” she says.

Martin loved her time with the company in Cork and is still very much tied to her roots. Her choice of radio station is Cork’s 96FM, and chatting daily to her folks has kept her accent intact. However, the opportunities offered by the move to the UK would not have come her way had she stayed in Ireland, she says.

We’re seeing a big shift in customer tastes, with conventional passenger cars losing ground because people either want a city runaround or an SUV

“I’ve been offered the options of working in Germany and a move to the States, but for various reasons the timing wasn’t good for me and I’ve stayed put. That said, I’ve never felt ‘stuck’ because there is plenty of opportunity to move – and each new role feels like starting over.”

Ford has made a commitment to having a comprehensive range of electric vehicles on the market by 2030, and Martin is in the thick of it with the roll-out of the company’s electric commercial fleet. So, does she think EVs will be ubiquitous within the next few years?

“Probably not, because the infrastructure is not there to support a sea change, but it’s definitely where we’re headed,” she says.

“We’re also seeing a big shift in customer tastes, with conventional passenger cars losing ground because people either want a city runaround or an SUV. As a result, [Ford models] the Fiesta, Mondeo, S-Max and Galaxy are being phased out.

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“This trend is partly driving a change in the design of commercial vehicles which are now looking less functional and more like passenger cars.”

On a personal level, Martin admits to buying Barry’s Tea online to remind her of home. However, one of the big things she misses that can’t be shopped for is the drop-in culture of rural Ireland.

“The door was always open at home and I loved that,” she says. “Living here, I had to get used to the fact that drop-in is just not done. I also miss the informality and the easy way Irish people have about them.”