QV System’s Lauren Strang on automotive, operations and her ‘rude girl’ car

What route did you take to get to your current role?

I grew up in Guernsey with a plan to work in the legal profession. I did a degree in criminal justice at Liverpool John Moores University and then took a law conversion course. But having started work for a law firm, I quickly found that the old-fashioned nature of the industry wasn’t for me and decided to work in financial services.

I spent three years as an auditor at JPD Financial, it was a really useful role because I now have process and efficiency ingrained in me! I ended up managing a large team but, when I had my son, I needed a job closer to home with less stress and responsibility. I joined QV Systems as a Customer Support Specialist in 2020.

How have you progressed through QV Systems?

I started at QV in March 2020, just ahead of the Covid lockdown. I was extremely thankful to keep my job and actually that period was useful in enabling me to have the time to really get to grips with the company’s Accelerate platform.

From that first customer support role, I became Change and Implementation Manager. From there, I moved into the product side of the business, before transitioning into operations. Earlier this year I became Head of Operations – so my original plan of having less responsibility didn’t quite work out!

What has kept you at QV Systems?

I’ve had brilliant career opportunities here. Some of my peers went into amazing corporate roles but the nature of working for a smaller company is that you have to muck in – meaning you get great exposure, and real opportunity for progression.

The flexibility to work around family life has also been great, especially as I started here as a new mum when my son was 18 months old. In fact, I do think the automotive sector generally is very accommodating of family commitments.

What’s it like working at QV Systems?

It’s really collaborative, we’re a close knit team and good friends too. People tend to come into the office regularly, it’s open plan and we all sit together – including our CEO Daniel Layne. Plus we have regular socials – and the office dart and chess boards – which all drive relationship building.

What does a typical day look like for you?

I’m mostly in the office but the weeks really vary. There’s usually a mountain of emails and plenty of meetings. Alongside the day-to-day, I focus on improving efficiency, mapping processes and operational delivery. I’m also heavily involved in our marketing, including campaigns and events – such as Fleet Procure Live, the BN25 and our customer feedback events – including the forthcoming QV Connect 5.

Do you feel that automotive is attractive to women?

Yes. It’s a friendly industry where everyone knows everyone, but it has historically been quite male dominated. I was a bit of a tomboy and grew up with an older brother and lots of male cousins, so it suits me well! I feel I’ve been embraced by the industry, especially when people realise I’m interested in cars – they’re often surprised by my passion and knowledge.

What advice would you give women looking to get into automotive?

Don’t over-engineer it. Don’t become overwhelmed thinking you don’t know enough about cars, maintenance or the technical side of the industry. Ask questions and be curious – be forward thinking and vocal about where improvements can be made.

What’s your car history?

I’ve always liked having nice cars. I currently drive a Volkswagen Polo GTI, affectionately known at QV as my ‘rude girl’ car. My first car was a Peugeot 206 then I had a zippy Alfa Romeo Mito Cloverleaf before some more sensible choices once I had my son. I’m currently toying with whether my next car should be something sensible or a silly car – we’ll see!