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OUR SALES MANAGER MENTORS WOMAN IN HIRE AND RENTAL INDUSTRY

Kevin Ennis was recently asked to speak about his experience as a mentor of the HRIA Woman in Hire Mentoring Program. Kevin was asked how he ultimately came to the decision to become a mentor and the importance behind encouraging woman in the hire industry.

About the WIH Program

The Women in Hire Mentoring Program is the first of its kind in our industry. The program is designed to give women opportunities to develop their leadership skills, build confidence and pursue a successful career within the industry.

 

About Kevin Ennis

Kevin has been associated with the Hire industry for over 30 years, starting his career at Wreckair Hire in 1988. His roles varied from storeman to Regional Sales Manager, working his way up the company gaining experience and learning all he could about sales and the Rental Industry.

Kevin has worked in Sales Management roles for various companies. His career with Atlas CEA commenced with the General Manager’s position 10 years ago.  His roles and responsibilities have evolved to encompass his sales passion.  He now has accountability in the challenging and demanding role as General Manager of Sales.

His long association with the Rental Industry is a very important part of Kevin’s life. He is proud to say he has been influenced and worked very closely with some amazing woman in the industry over the years.

What was your motivation to nominate yourself as a Mentor in the Inaugural WIH Mentoring Program?

“I was fortunate to work with a lady called Sandra Greenwood back in the Wreckair hire days.  Sandra has retired now, but she was an amazing no nonsense woman and back in the late eighties early nineties, it was basically unheard off to have a women in the Hire branch.  There were a number of administration ladies working in the office, but Sandra was at the coal face.  Her knowledge of the products and way she conducted herself was really inspirational. When I heard about the mentoring program for women in Hire, I thought of Sandra and everything she taught me and thought it would a great way of paying it forward as I don’t believe there are enough women at the forefront of rental companies.

Were your expectations of the WIH Mentoring Program met from a mentor’s perspective? 

“Yes definitely.  The support the Association has provided for Mentors and mentees has been awesome.  There has been numerous interaction and information exchanges on both sides but it’s been well balanced, enabling us to achieve our goals.” 

 

If someone was considering becoming a mentor in the 2019 WIH Mentoring Program what advice would you give them?

“My advice would be to embrace this opportunity. I actually enjoyed sharing my knowledge and experience and it made me feel like I was giving back to an industry that had given me so much. I saw growth and confidence develop within my mentee and I feel now that this program is coming to an end, my mentee will continue her journey in a more positive and self-assured way. Knowing my mentee has benefited from this program made me feel like I had definitely made a difference in her work practices.”

 

At the end of the program, what’s one thing you hope to have achieved with your mentee?

“To have a positive impact on the way the mentee’s goes about her business practices in the future.”

Conclusion

Although this line of work is male predominant, there has been quite a significant increase of woman entering the industry. This influx of women is changing the stigma around the “male only workspace” and providing another influence and perspective on the industry. Programs such as WIH encourages all woman to step outside of their comfort zone, build confidence and pursue a career that they are passionate about.

We believe there is a clear competitive advantage to be gained from having a truly diverse and equitable workforce. A diverse workforce means having diversity of ideas, perspectives and experience, leading to enhanced methods of problem solving.  The result, better internal decision-making and a distinct competitive advantage. Organisations that reflect the realities of the world around them are far better placed to understand the needs of their customers and deliver on their strategic aims. 

If you’d like to learn more about the HRIA Woman in Hire Program or how you could get involved visit: https://lnkd.in/d23hPGb

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