Jess – Marketing Apprentice
Jess joined Rivervale as a Marketing Apprentice in September 2025, starting straight after her GCSEs. Inspired by her mum, Jaymie, Fleet Services Director, she brought her passion for cars and determination to make the most of the opportunity within the marketing team.
Jess encourages anyone considering an apprenticeship to “throw yourself at the opportunity, it’s a massive learning experience.” She also shares that “I am on track to completing my apprenticeship in 12 months instead of 18 and I would love to achieve this next.” Proactive and solutions focused, she thinks things through rather than waiting for instructions, and has already managed campaigns from end to end, gaining responsibility and strengthening the team around her.
Her journey reflects Give to Gain. By giving young people real opportunities and support, fresh ideas, energy and future talent are gained.
Alice – Apprentice Vehicle Technician
Alice joined Rivervale as an Apprentice Vehicle Technician, driven by her love of hands-on work. Growing up building with Lego and Meccano, she never imagined a desk-based career. Before starting, she had minimal knowledge of vehicles, but through her apprenticeship she has gained practical experience and technical skills, now confidently completing services and some repairs independently.
She gives consistent quality work, attention to detail, reliability, and a strong willingness to learn. Alice has replaced an alternator pulley and a faulty starter motor with minimal assistance, and highlights that technicians also work with data, diagnosing faults, understanding systems, and learning new technology. She credits her mentor and manager’s belief in her as key support.
Alice encourages other women to consider technical careers. “I’d tell anyone thinking about an apprenticeship… Go for it! What’s not to like being paid and gaining vital experience while gaining qualifications. You don’t have to know everything on day one, you just have to show up and be willing to learn.” By the end of this year, she hopes to complete a cambelt change or clutch replacement.
Jaymie – Fleet Services Director
Jaymie’s journey shows what happens when ambition meets opportunity. Her career began as a temporary role in 2000, which quickly became a thriving career. Since joining Rivervale in 2019, she has built and shaped the fleet, growing the team from two to twelve and driving the success of Fleet Services and SMR in a traditionally male dominated sector.
Entrepreneurial and innovative, she has strengthened operational excellence, built a high performing inclusive team, and delivered growth. Her impact is felt in both business results and the culture she has created. Through strategic leadership, customer focused innovation, and support for her team, she has gained industry recognition, including being shortlisted for Entrepreneur of the Year at The Motor Trader Women in Motor Industry Awards.
Her leadership philosophy is simple: work collaboratively, empower people to play to their strengths, and recognise that real success comes from embracing change. For Jaymie, giving means developing her team’s knowledge and creating an environment built on trust. As she puts it, “I spend time developing my team’s knowledge, sharing my experience, and giving them the freedom to make mistakes - because that’s where real learning happens.”
Lauren – Fleet Account Manager
Within Jaymie’s team, Lauren’s progression stands out. Starting as a Fleet Administrator and moving through Fleet Account Executive to Fleet Account Manager, she has built her knowledge across five years in the department, learning every area of Fleet to support each team member alongside the Fleet Director.
Lauren has gained confidence in her decision making and learned to trust her judgement, while also developing strong customer relationship management skills. Ongoing support from her manager has fuelled her motivation to progress into roles with greater responsibility. Her journey reflects Rivervale’s commitment to recognising potential and creating space for people to thrive.
Habeeba – Head of Pricing
Habeeba leads Rivervale’s pricing team, People often think pricing is just about adding cars to the website, but the role is much broader it involves ensuring deals are competitive, accurate, and transparent. Day to day, her team monitors comparison sites, analyses enquiry conversion rates, improves processes, and arranges deals on the front page - work often overlooked outside the department. She gives her team technical and commercial knowledge, support, and guidance, helping them manage time, access resources, and grow in confidence and autonomy.
Habeeba is proud when her leadership positively impacts team members, building trust and helping them gain confidence to make decisions. She balances competitiveness with fairness using a clear framework, adapts to market changes, and improves visibility and efficiency through dashboards and automation.
“Give to Gain means showing up with generosity, sharing your time, knowledge and support with others. When you do that, you gain a stronger, more capable team and a much better work environment for everyone.”
Her motivation comes from solving problems and making a positive difference for colleagues and partners.
Lydia – Leasing Broker Relationship Manager
Lydia thrives on building strong relationships with broker partners, where success is measured week to week by helping brokers respond confidently and efficiently to their customers. She gives complete support, from quick responses and clear information to ongoing guidance throughout the process, ensuring every stage is dependable until the vehicle is delivered.
Challenges are handled with transparency and problem-solving, turning tricky situations into positive experiences that build trust. Lydia credits her growth to knowledge and support from colleagues, and she supports others by offering guidance and being available whenever needed.
“The best part of my job is building relationships - I love a chat, but even more, I love being able to help people.” Her confidence, knowledge, and dedication continue to drive her to improve every day.
