Fiona Deal

Not many people spend more than three decades with the same organisation and still light up when they talk about their work. Fiona Deal is one of them. As Head of Fleet Sales Enablement at Toyota Fleet Management Australia, she has grown continuously within the organisation - shaped by its values and, in turn, helping to shape it. A career defined not by where she has moved, but by how much she has grown, and how much she has brought others along with her. That kind of longevity isn't common. That kind of conviction is rarer still.

Please explain your job to us — what does a Head of Fleet Sales Enablement do?

The Head of Fleet Sales Enablement sets the direction for TFM’s fleet mobility offer, turning customer insight and market knowledge into practical commercial solutions.  The role brings together product strategy, data, connected mobility, commercial vehicles and rental while working closely with TFA, Dealers and partners to deliver growth and a strong customer experience.  The team is basically there to “enable” Sales Regions.

You joined Toyota Fleet Management in 1988 and have built your entire career here — over 30 years. What has kept you here, and what does that kind of longevity say about the organisation?

What kept me here at Toyota is the business values which have not changed over the years.  Respect for People and Continuous improvement resonates with me personally and professionally.  I also like that I am able to interact with internal and external customers and stakeholders.  It keeps the roles fresh.

What do you love most about your job?

Bringing people together to turn ideas into something that actually makes a difference.  I enjoy shaping direction, solving problems with the team and seeing the impact.

What do you observe in someone before you back them for a bigger opportunity?

Hard work, resilience and authenticity.  Work ethic is also very important to me.

What is the most intentional thing you do to develop the people around you?

Connect them with other people who can support their learning journey.  I never think I am the only person who can support that.  I am still learning everyday.

You have built a 30-year career in fleet — a space that has traditionally been very male dominated. What has that journey looked like, and what has changed?

Even in such a male dominated industry I rarely felt that I was out of place.  The Toyota business has always been very respectful toward women, I can honestly say that.  You just need to be well prepared and authentic as in any role I believe.

How do you go about attracting and retaining female talent in your workplace?

I believe that the best person for the role should be the one that you hire so it doesn’t really come into play for me.  Luckily a business like ours has a good reputation so attracting talent is not too much of an issue.

What achievement in your career are you most proud of?

There are lots.  Signing new, large and complex customers is very exciting and keeping them for long periods of time is even better.  Personally, I have managed to juggle family life and my professional life pretty well most of the time.  I am very good at switching off when I leave the office.  I don’t just say that to people it is true.  My family are more important to me than any job.

How do you manage work-life balance? What are your methods or key tips for staying on top of everything?

This is very important to me.  I am an incredibly structured person both personally and professionally.  What works is scheduling your time during the week in your calendar and sticking to it.  When the weekend comes then you shouldn’t need to worry about work.  If I need to do something extra I do it on my working from home days with the travel time savings and spend time with family and then go back and do what I need to do.