We sat down with the first-annual Women of BMW honorees to find out about their careers, insights and what drives them each day. We invite you to take a moment and learn about these dedicated women and congratulate them with kudos on Twitter with #WomenOfBMW.
NAME: Denise Melville
POSITION: Head of BMW Group University
LOCATION: Woodcliff Lake, NJ
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WITH BMW? 16 Years in U.K. and U.S.
Q: DESCRIBE YOUR ROLE AT BMW:
A: I’m responsible for dealer training (technical and non-technical) and Retail HR for our 25,000 dealer employees.
Q: DESCRIBE A DEFINING MOMENT IN YOUR CAREER AND HOW IT SHAPED YOUR PATH
A: I’m driven to continuously improve. I’m never satisfied, so it’s hard to specify one defining moment. Defining moments for me are times when the plan works out well or when one of my team has a great win, and I’m always keen to see what’s next and how we can improve it!
Q: WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR OTHER WOMEN INTERESTED IN YOUR FIELD?
A: From an automotive perspective: I suggest learning how a dealer operates, spend time with them, and understand their challenges
From a general leadership perspective: Have a plan that you believe in, bring your team with you and stick with it. Never doubt or second guess yourself, do that by making sure you have the facts that support your plans.
Q: WHO IS A FEMALE ROLE MODEL TO YOU AND WHAT DO YOU ADMIRE ABOUT HER?
A: Michelle Obama –She is unpretentious, highly intelligent, and she started so many initiatives that gave focus to childhood obesity, healthy meals for low-income students, fitness training for kids and improving issues for veteran families. It’s for the way in which she approached these issues that I admire her most
Q: WHAT DO YOU ENJOY DOING MOST OUTSIDE OF WORK? WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH?
A: Cycling with my husband and son, I like to run and I love gardening, I find it to be a great escape from the busy lifestyles we all lead. What makes me laugh? Mr. Bean, Monty Python and Fawlty Towers (you can detect my sense of humor from this list!).