Victoria Lloyd, Regional Head of Sales, and Michael Rutter, Regional Head of Operations, cover the Northwest region for Dawsongroup vans, which includes running the Skelmersdale and Manchester branches and ensuring all customers and team members are satisfied.
The Journey to This Point
Both Victoria and Michael have extensive experience in the LCV industry. Michael has been with Dawsongroup for eleven years and is one of the longest standing team members at Dawsongroup vans. When Michael first joined the company, his main role involved supporting his branch manager and he played a key role in the rapid growth of the business, which led to him becoming Operations Manager at the Skelmersdale branch. Following the acquisition of Transflex in 2015, Michael took on the role of Head of Operations in the Northwest.
Victoria has also moved through the ranks quickly during her time with Dawsongroup vans. After joining as an Area Sales Manager in 2018, she was promoted to Regional Head of Sales within just eight months of joining the business.
Between them, Victoria and Michael have taken the Northwest region from strength to strength. Victoria manages her team of salespeople and supports them with anything they may need in order to provide the best possible customer service. From joining them on customer and de-fleet meetings to reacting to a wide variety of customer queries on a daily basis, Victoria ensures that the service we are providing is always positively contributing to our customers’ success.
In addition to this, Michael keeps a close eye on how both branches are operating, ensuring we are delivering the best result for our customers. Often the first person in at Skelmersdale, Michael will make sure all drivers know their schedules for the day and are on the road in good time, before looking at ways we can increase our utilisation whilst still maintaining the high service levels our customers have come to expect from us.
The Secrets of Their Success
Both Victoria and Michael agree that strong teamwork is a key contributor to the region’s success, and this shared value is why their region has one of the best staff retention rates within the company.
“I have my own office at the branches, but I am at my happiest when I am in and around the team,” said Michael. “When you walk in the branch, you get a real sense of togetherness. We are all in the same boat working towards the same goal and you genuinely feel that someone is always available to help you, no matter when or what it may be for. In our line of work, you can start to feel overwhelmed at times, especially if you are quite new to the role, and I take great pride in being the calm voice of reason to help bring things back to reality when needed.”
In addition to the amazing teamwork within the region, the pair’s extensive industry experience means that they are able to provide upfront and honest advice to customers. When dealing with requests, Victoria’s 19-year industry experience means she is perfectly positioned to offer a consultative service and reliable advice to help and support customers.
“My broad industry knowledge accompanied with my honest, upfront approach is one of the main reasons why I am the first point of contact for customers when they have any questions about their fleet,” said Victoria. “They know that the advice and suggestions I offer them will genuinely be aimed at improving their operational efficiency. Earning this level of trust from my customers is one of my favourite parts about the job.”
What’s Next?
Continuing to grow the region and provide the best possible customer experience is at the forefront of both Victoria’s and Michael’s minds. In his time with the company, Michael has witnessed first-hand the impressive growth of both the region and the business, but he has also seen how important it is to keep the culture at the heart when managing growth.
“At Dawsongroup you are valued massively both professionally and personally, which is why I am excited to carry on supporting the region for the foreseeable future,” said Michael.
In addition to being Regional Head of Sales, Victoria is also part of our dedicated team of net zero experts, Team Target Zero. With many fleets now implementing or thinking about their journey to net zero, Victoria is perfectly positioned to support customers on this journey and advise them on the best way to start adopting electric vehicles, in the smoothest, most effective way.
Outside of work, Victoria loves to travel and has visited some amazing places, including Hong Kong and Las Vegas, where she has seen both Mariah Carey in concert. Equally, Michael loves to go on plenty of holidays with his wife and two children, especially Florida as his mantra is, “You work hard, so when you have a holiday, make the most of it!” A fun fact about Michael is that he is an avid Adidas trainer collector and, in his peak, owned over 120 pairs of Adidas trainers.
If you are interested in joining the Dawsongroup vans team, or any other part of Dawsongroup, check out our careers, or find out more about our Smarter Asset Strategy.
