In the automotive business, you have to be agile and change whatever you are doing from one day to the next, says Citroën CEO and Autobest Manbest (MANager Best) of the year Linda Jackson.

Following a comparative test of six finalists, the new Citroën Berlingo won the Best Buy Car of Europe 2019 award, organised by Autobest.

Since 2001, Autobest has recognised the car receiving the highest number of votes, submitted by 31 motoring journalists from Europe. The cars are assessed on the basis of 13 criteria, including value for money, design, comfort and technologies, as well as service quality and spare parts availability in the re-tail network.

It’s a high accolade for Citroën, especially considering that another car by the same maker – the C3 Aircross Compact SUV – won the same award last year. This was the first time in the history of Autobest that the Best Buy Car of Europe prize was awarded to the same manufacturer two years in a row. 

The Berlingo stood out from its rivals on the strength of its substantially modernised de-sign together with its technologies and selection of latest-generation engines, bringing a breath of fresh air to the leisure activity vehicle segment. 

A top-selling Citroën model in nearly 17 countries in 2017, the Berlingo remains the second best-selling Citroën model behind the C3. It has been produced in over 3.3 million units since launch in 1996. More modern and featuring the styling cues of the most recently launched Citroën models, the new Berlingo is an integral part of the brand’s renewal. Since launch in September 2018, the new Berlingo has been ordered in over 13,000 units and is sure to make a major contribution to Citroën’s strong sales momentum. With over 690,000 registrations in Europe at end-October – the best result in seven years – Citroën sales are up six per cent in Europe, more than triple the market average.

As a leader, you have to be credible

The Autobest jury also awarded Citroën CEO Linda Jackson with the award for best manager of the year and invited her to an exclusive meeting with the jury, in order to discuss what it means to lead the French automobile manufacturer. 

“I got into this industry purely by accident,” Jackson says. “Four decades ago, I was living in Coventry, which used to be the heart of the UK’s automotive industry. My plan was to study to become a teacher but, before going to university, I thought I would do a couple of months’ work experience. My uncle, who worked for Jaguar, told me they were hiring – so I applied and got in.”

Jackson worked for Jaguar for the following two months and, in that period, she says she “did nothing particularly useful.”

“But those two months were critical to my formation. I learned about the many aspects of the automotive industry – from design and finance to engineering and marketing. The experience was so positive I decided to not go to university and instead, work in the industry.”

Jackson says there were two important elements that informed her decision.

“First, I was inspired by the many different aspects of the car industry. And second, the end product of the industry – a car – is so emotional. So I gave up on pursuing a career in teaching and stayed on at Jaguar.”

Jackson says that she may have got into the car industry by chance – but she stayed on by choice. 

“This is important because when managing people, you have to show them they can take chances. I come from a middle class family but I still made an unconventional choice. I al-ways tell my team to dare to choose and do things differently – because the things other people think you should do are not necessarily true. Moreover, we live in such disruptive times that we have to choose outside our comfort zone.”

Citroën CEO Linda Jackson and Carlos Tavares, chairman of the managing board of PSA Peugeot Citroën pose at the 2018 Paris Motor Show.Citroën CEO Linda Jackson and Carlos Tavares, chairman of the managing board of PSA Peugeot Citroën pose at the 2018 Paris Motor Show.

Jackson says that for a leader to succeed, they need the support of other people. 

“Two people were especially inspiring,” she says. “The first is my husband, who I married when I was 22, and who gives me a lot of sup-port. The second – who was the finance director at Land Rover years ago – was my mentor and pushed me to further my studies and apply for jobs.”

Jackson says mentoring is especially important to women in the automotive industry – because there are so few of them.

“When working in a male-oriented industry, you have to acknowledge you are a woman. And it can be very positive – since there are a few woman in the automotive world, if you do a good job, you get noticed.”

Jackson adds that she is keen on mentoring. “As a leader, I recognise that people need support. You must have confidence in yourself and in the people you work with. As a leader, my job can cover anything from dealer visits to looking at concept cars and campaigns. I cannot be an expert in everything – but I have an expert team.”

Adding on to the different forms of support that colleagues can give each other, Jackson adds how: “I acknowledge that people have another life outside the office – and maintaining that balance is important. That is why I en-courage people to work from home, not to be at the office before 8am and after 6pm, and not to do e-mails during weekends.”

Credibility is also key to leadership. 

“As a leader, you have to be credible. I am credible because I started at the very bottom – my first job was stapling invoices. As I climbed up, I learned different tasks. And that has given me the advantage that when I tell people to do something, I know what is involved. I don’t necessarily know the specifics but I know the work it entails.”

In a disruptive world, Jackson says that agility has taken front-row importance. 

“In the automotive business, you have to be agile and be able to change whatever you are doing from one day to the next – because the industry is changing so much. An open mind and freedom are essential. In this respect, I am lucky because I work for a boss – Carlos Tavares, chairman of the managing board of Groupe PSA – who gives me the freedom to think outside the box and develop Citroën the way I want.

“I remember when I took on the role of CEO in 2014, Tavares told me that, of the three brands within the Group, Citroën could afford to do things differently, in a daring manner. That was my brief. And I took a customer-centric point of view – so the customer journey has to be excellent, complemented by great products and experience. When I went back to Tavares to tell him about my strategy he told me, ‘That is excellent – now go and convince everybody else.’ It took quite a while to get people to think like this. But if you prove to be credible, convince people through your own passion, and get results, then you succeed.”

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