Counting and targets
EU Contact Centre Director Rachel Folkemer began her Enterprise career at our global headquarters in St Louis in 1996.
This female leader has had an interesting and varied career path which spans more than 20 years across two continents.
Rachel joined the company as a US employee on a special J1 visa and she worked in the US for her first two years.
She developed both personally and professionally during her time in the States, learning from some of the most knowledgeable and experienced people within Enterprise.
She then came back to the UK and became part of the team who created PC Bill in 1999, which has since revolutionised our operations.
Over the next 15 years Rachel has taken a wide range of roles across the company, which has enabled her to continually progress in her career. She credits her success to the excellent team of people that she works with and also to her love of focusing on numbers and working towards targets to reach her full potential!
Career Timeline
1996 Joined Enterprise in St Louis, USA
1998 Transitioned receipting and invoicing functions from GP76 to UK99
1999 Created PC Bill
2000 Call Centre Department Manager 2001 Group Call Centre Manager
2008 Retail Business Development
2010 Project Manager
2011 EBS Manager
2017 EU Contact Centre Director
What do you love most about your role?
Aside from the fact that I work with an amazing group of people, I am also very results orientated and so I love to track our numbers. Everything is measured in the contact centre, whether it’s reservations, revenue, service, transactions, handle time, rental ready percentage and so forth. I find it so exciting to see the impact as we focus on certain areas and strive for the perfect balance.
What is the toughest challenge you have faced in your career?
Returning from maternity leave was a significant challenge and Enterprise helped me through it. The business had evolved and EBS was born! I had a lot of playing catch-up to bring my knowledge back up to speed. On top of that I had to juggle the demands of a new born!
What do you like doing in your spare time?
Spending time with my family. I have three boys: Hugo (age 13), Jacob (age 10) and Tom (age 8). Clearly, they keep me super busy at home or travelling to clubs and activities.
I also have a lovely one-year old dog called Holly – a cockapoo. I enjoy taking her for walks in Great Windsor Park.
Finally, I like to keep fit. I did three triathlons last year and last month I completed my second London Marathon. I go to the gym before work for bootcamp or swimming and find that it sets me up for the day.
What would be your best advice or tips for our future female leaders?
Make a difference: work hard, pick your battles and realize that you can’t have it all. Well, not all at the same time!
