Donna Kelly of Nationwide Vehicle Contracts receives the Woman in Broking 2025 Award from category sponsor Simon Leake of Novuna Vehicle Solutions
Winner: Donna Kelly, Nationwide Vehicle Contracts
Category Winner:
Woman in Broking 2025
About the winner:
Donna joined Nationwide Vehicle Contracts in 2009, bringing with her an impressive broadcasting background – including roles at the BBC and ITV. She initially joined Carpress, Nationwide’s former sister site, as a Website Editor, within two years, she moved into a marketing role and then became Digital Marketing Manager. Now, 15 years later, Donna is a key part of the senior management team.
Why did Donna win Woman in Broking 2025?
Once again this year, the Broker News editorial team had an outstanding list of talented women to choose from and it was tough to select a winner. Ralph Morton, Editorial Director for Broker News explains why Donna stood out:
‘Donna’s forward thinking approach has really disrupted the way her brokerage operates and truly enhanced the customer experience. She embodies continual improvement and has had an impressive journey through Nationwide over the last 15 years – congratulations Donna!’
Pioneering innovation
Donna is truly driving change at Nationwide. Under her direction, the business has launched a number of innovative initiatives, including embracing AI. Nationwide’s AI-powered customer service tool has not only enhanced customer interactions but also received external recognition, winning the Centre for Digital Innovation’s Customer Engagement Transformation Award.
Donna is also behind the introduction of key new propositions for Nationwide – including quick delivery, stock deals ‘Fast Lease’ and ‘Help to Lease’, aimed at supporting young drivers.
Industry impact
Donna is a passionate advocate for diversity in automotive. Last August she led an important research study into the experiences of women at dealerships. The results also highlighted a critical insight – revealing that one in three women wouldn’t consider a role in automotive.
Reflecting on the industry in her December 2024 Women in Broking interview, Donna commented:
‘In motorsport, especially areas such as engineering, there are still accessibility barriers for women which need to be addressed. The automotive sector could definitely enable women with more support through mentorship and networking schemes. Thankfully from a broker perspective, our sector seems to be leading the way for automotive and is very good at championing equality.’
Continuous improvement
Donna’s commitment to ongoing improvement is evident in everything she does – from improving the customer journey to her own focus on learning and development. Supported by Nationwide, Donna continues to add certifications and skills to her impressive list of qualifications.
What the winner said
“I’m incredibly honoured to be named this year’s Woman in Broking. It’s amazing to be part of an initiative that supports women in our industry and helps drive positive change. A big thank you to the Broker News team for the recognition – it was a complete surprise, and I’m genuinely grateful.”
Donna Kelly, Digital Marketing Manager, Nationwide Vehicle Contracts
Winner profiles in association with Leasing.com
Leasing.com invented car leasing comparison in the UK and for the last 25 years has been helping leasing brokers to promote their offers to consumers and businesses in order to generate high-quality leads and happy customers.
Select Car Leasing heads BN25 table with astonishing 34,000 sales
Select Car Leasing was named the biggest leasing broker by sales volume at the inaugural BN25 event on 5 February 2026
Broker News Newsletter 03 February 2026
Catch up on the latest leasing broker news in the 03 February 2025 Broker News newsletter
ZEV mandate continues to put EV residual values under pressure – Indicata
The ZEV mandate is set to continue as the UK’s biggest risk to future EV residual values according to Indicata’s latest report
January used retail prices surge; diesel and hybrid best performers
January saw average used retail advertised prices climb across almost all sectors, with diesel and hybrid the strongest performers
Lepas will be Chery’s fourth brand in the UK
Chinese automotive giant Chery will launch a fourth brand in the UK later this year called Lepas
A positive start to the year for the leasing broker community
Vince Pemberton, Chair of the BVRLA Leasing Broker Committee, reports on the first committee meeting under his leadership
Laura is a writer and Head of Marketing for Broker News, with extensive automotive experience from senior marketing roles with RBS/Nat West, Lombard Vehicle Management and Unipart. She is also a self-confessed petrol-head.
