Toyota Talks: Paul Van der Burgh | My Career Path

We’re publishing a series of interviews with senior leaders at Toyota GB, discussing their careers and what the future holds for the company. Our aim is to inspire the next generation of innovators. This time round we speak to Paul Van der Burgh, President and Managing Director of Toyota GB.

Hi Paul, to start us off, can you tell us about your career so far?

Paul: “I’ve been in the auto industry for almost 35 years, and in that time I’ve been lucky enough to have a variety of positions; some in the United States, some in Belgium, some in Poland and, of course, a number in the UK.”

And what attracted you to the automotive industry?

Paul: “It’s a captivating industry. Every time I’ve looked at the next position, it’s been more exciting and more interesting. The industry is always challenging so we’ve got to adapt and that’s what makes it really exciting, because when you come to the office in the morning you’re never quite sure what you’re actually going to be faced with.”

How do you like to run the business?

Paul: “There are two main philosophies. One is company culture: to try and create a really engaging place to work where employees come to the office in the morning and feel passionate about what they’re doing. The other is customer service – that is, meeting and exceeding customer needs. If I look at the leaders I’ve really respected, they’re the ones who make coming to work a great experience because highly engaged employees deliver the best customer service.”

What drives you every day?

Paul: “I never wake up in the morning other than really wanting to get into the office. I never find drive an issue. I’m very competitive as a person so I’m continually looking for better ways of doing things that provide even better results. When people come to visit us, there’s an immediate ‘wow’ factor because it’s clearly an office environment that’s very conducive to people being engaged for the company. I love the role, I love the challenges and I love the variety every day brings.”

Read more: Paula Cooper’s career journey

If you’re interested in a career in the automotive sector, visit the Toyota GB careers website here.

6 comments

  1. Hi ! I’m the proud owner of a 56 plate Rav4 for 8 years and love it. 100k + miles !
    I’m a community health worker for the NHS and looking to upgrade to maybe a hybrid??
    Massively beyond my budget, but wanted to know are there any repayment options that don’t require such a high deposit or longer low APR finance??
    I need the 4WD to help in the bad weather and also for the height due to a previous pelvis/ hip injury.
    I don’t want to look at other models really as I’ve always felt so safe in mine!
    I would welcome any advice

    Tracie

    1. Hi Tracie,

      Thanks for getting in touch and for everything you’re doing at the moment. We’re really pleased to hear you’ve enjoyed your RAV4 so much and that you’re now interested in upgrading to a hybrid. You can find all our latest hybrid offers here: https://www.toyota.co.uk/current-offers/?select=hybridoffer . Alternatively, you can use our finance calculator to create your own finance quote https://www.toyota.co.uk/current-offers/?select=hybridoffer#/box-iframe/https%3A%2F%2Fforms.toyota.co.uk%2Fquick-finance-quote/size=fullscreen

      Please also be aware, following government advice all Toyota new and used car sales facilities are closed but many do remain contactable to discuss your motoring needs. You can find more details on this here: https://www.toyota.co.uk/covid-19

      Thanks.

  2. Hi Paul,
    Hope you are keeping well in these times.

    You state above: ” The other is customer service – that is, meeting and exceeding customer needs. If I look at the leaders I’ve really respected, they’re the ones who make coming to work a great experience because highly engaged employees deliver the best customer service.”

    I am very very annoyed with your company’s customer service levels.

    I have just had “Pathetic” and “Rude” customer service from your staff member.

    In such difficult times with the Pandemic you need to have staff who know how to at least Speak to customers and deliver quality Customer Service which your staff member is very far from!
    I do not appreciate being shouted at over the phone.

    Not impressed with your company’s customer service in light of your comment above.

  3. Hi Nadia,

    Thanks for getting in touch with us. We are extremely sorry to hear about this. We strive ourselves on putting the customer first and we would like to look into this further for you with our customer relations team. We will email you directly in order to gain additional details and see what we can do to help.

    Thanks

    Toyota Blog Team

  4. i had my verso serviced recently and four new tyres fitted by hills of woodford, sadly a couple of weeks later the front wheel nearly fell off, i took it back to hills and they said the fitter said he was very busy that day and he was sure he had tightened all the wheels. a few weeks went by and one the tyres started to lose air we took it to the the tyre shop and they said the tyre wasnt fitted correctly and they refitted it with an £18 charge. i contacted customer relations and they spoke to hills and was told the wheels are corroded and thats why it was leaking air, firstly why didnt hills inform me, and why doesnt it leak now after it was refitted correctly, maybe toyota should look into customer relations/satifaction more.

    1. Hi John,

      Thanks for getting in touch and for sharing details of your experience. We’re sorry to hear it. It sounds like you have a case open with customer relations, and as they are best placed to assist you here, we recommend communicating your dissatisfaction with them directly. Do let us know if there’s anything the blog team can help you with.

      Thanks

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