Donna Kelly, Woman in Broking winner for 2025 with Simon Leake of award sponsors Drivalia. Photo Credit: Alastair Hilton
We’re delighted to share that our Digital Marketing Manager, Donna Kelly, has been named Woman in Broking 2025 at the prestigious Broker News Awards.
The Broker News Awards shine a spotlight on the biggest and best in the vehicle leasing industry. Their Women in Broking series was created to celebrate exceptional women, challenge traditional views of leadership, and encourage more women to join and thrive in the automotive and finance sectors.
As part of this initiative, the Woman in Broking award recognises a standout individual who has demonstrated excellence, leadership, and impact in her field – and this year, that person is Donna.
Donna Kelly, collecting the Woman in Broking award at the 2025 Broker News Awards. Photo Credit: Alastair Hilton
Donna was first featured in the Women in Broking series in December 2024, and her story has continued to inspire. Starting her career in TV and radio, Donna joined Nationwide Vehicle Contracts in 2009 as a Website Editor for our former sister site, Car Press. Within two years, she’d moved into a marketing role, quickly rising to become Digital Marketing Manager. Now, 15 years later, she’s part of our senior management team and continues to lead from the front.
Under her direction, we’ve launched several ground-breaking projects, most notably our award-winning AI Renewal Tool, which uses predictive analytics to offer customers tailored vehicle renewal options. This innovation earned us the Best Innovation Award at the Broker News Awards 2023.
2025 Broker News Woman in Broking award. Photo Credit: Alastair Hilton
More recently, Donna played a key role in developing our AI-powered customer service tool, which analyses real-time feedback to improve training, streamline issue resolution, and enhance overall customer experience. This tool received the Centre for Digital Innovation’s Customer Engagement Transformation Award, further proving the real-world impact of Donna’s work.
But Donna’s influence goes beyond technology. She has been a passionate advocate for diversity in the sector. One of her most recent projects involved leading a research study into the experiences of women at dealerships, revealing that one in three women wouldn’t consider a role in automotive. By bringing these issues to light, Donna is helping to create a more inclusive, supportive industry for future generations.
“I'm incredibly honoured to be named this year's Woman in Broking. It's amazing to be part of an initiative that supports women in our industry and helps drive positive change. A big thank you to the Broker News team for the recognition – it was a complete surprise, and I’m genuinely grateful.”
Donna received her award from Simon Leake of Drivalia, sponsors of the Woman in Broking category. Drivalia is a forward-thinking funder committed to building a more diverse and representative broker channel.
The awards took place on 3rd April 2025 at London’s Orrery restaurant, with a lunchtime celebration supported by headline sponsor BYD. Guests enjoyed a rooftop drinks reception hosted by Arval UK, followed by a three-course meal courtesy of Automotus, the perfect setting to celebrate innovation and excellence in broking.
Congratulations to Donna on this well-deserved recognition.
