Interview with Europcar’s Dawn Nathan-Jones
What is the best part of your job?
As CEO of the Imperial Car Rental Division and leading the Europcar brand the best part of my job is discovering talent and being instrumental in developing their careers, stretching individuals with potential to reach new benchmarks and to grow. Mentoring and inspiring the people in my organisation over the past 30 years, has been an extremely rewarding part of my career. I believe a company is as good as its people, as they are the heart and pulse of the organisation.
What personal character traits do you think helped you achieve success?
Resilience, determination and courage are the traits that have helped me achieve my success. Resilience in my ability to continuously look for ways to innovate, re-invent and drive change. My philosophy is that you are either a passenger or the driver of change, I prefer the latter as it gives one the edge. It takes courage to change. This way I reaffirm a position of strength in business and my professional life.
What keeps you motivated during tough times?
Staying focussed on my goals and using tough times as an opportunity to learn and grow. Tough situations challenge me to be resourceful and force me to extract the positives to turn a bad situation around and create opportunities from less than advantageous circumstances.
What motivational words would you give to women out their which will encourage them to keep striving for success?
Know what you want and believe in your dreams and aspirations. Don’t be afraid to challenge what you think are your limitations. By removing your own barriers you can open the door to reaching your goals as each and every one of us has the potential to succeed.