Women in Broking: Hollie Crumlish

HOLLIE Crumlish describes broking as her ‘heartland’. She says that her career has come full circle – from her first permanent LeasePlan job checking broker documents to becoming Alphabet’s Head of Broker Partnerships 12 years later. So how did her career evolve?

Hollie was a ‘straight A’ student with four impressive A-levels under her belt – including drama and theatre, plus classics. Subjects that don’t immediately scream automotive career but all part of her plan to continue on to university. Ahead of beginning her degree, Hollie took a gap year and a temporary job at LeasePlan; she has never left automotive.

‘It was definitely a surprise that I ended up in automotive! I’m absolutely not a car person, it’s the culture and people that have kept me. I love the broker world – being able to contribute to the businesses we work with has kept me hooked. It’s so diverse, and naturally, you get to know people on a personal level.’

Hollie’s temporary LeasePlan job led to her first permanent role as Franchisee Service Executive. She says that being exposed to the broker channel so early in her career was a real benefit since she was able to work with everyone ‘from the admin teams through to the broker owners’. Hollie was quickly identified as ‘high potential’ and put on a fast-track scheme to management. She explains:

‘I was given brilliant opportunities to progress and benefited from senior leaders who believed in me. I was also very fortunate to be working with an inspiring all-female leadership team. One of my career highlights was getting my first management role aged 21. That role in tactical sales management opened a lot of doors for me, including the opportunity to build OEM relationships.’

One of those OEM relationships was with BMW Group. Hollie made the move to work for the Group as Leasing Key Account Manager in 2016 – a role she held for five years. Hollie describes BMW as ‘a fantastic place to work culturally’ saying that the business is excellent at fostering career development – especially for women.

Proof of that was when Hollie returned from maternity leave. She stepped into a new role as Alphabet Regional Development Manager and, within 18 months, she was promoted to Head of Broker, a position previously held by Nickie Conde, whom Hollie describes as an ‘amazing role model’. Hollie says that she feels fortunate to have worked for businesses which have been flexible, enabling her to progress a career and have a family.

‘My role is flexible, which is key for me as it enables me to balance work and the needs of my young family. The business measures us on output, which really suits me. My working pattern is hybrid, so my time is split between home, the office and the field. I don’t have a fixed desk in the office, so I can work in the MINI building or at Alphabet, it all depends on my meetings and where the best coffee is!’

Hollie describes the Head of Broker Partnerships role as ‘rewarding and dynamic’. She is involved in the future business strategy, explaining that it is ‘really exciting as we’re at the forefront of industry innovation’. She works on projects as diverse as new product development, used EV residuals and regulatory compliance. Hollie also spends time out supporting her team in the field which she loves, saying that it is critical to building great partnerships.

Over the past decade, Hollie has noticed improved equality in the industry and more women in senior management positions. At BMW, the board has an equal gender split but she believes the wider sector has more to do: