Kendra Ayling

GroupHeadofBrandandMarketing,HitachiRail

Group Head of Brand and Marketing, Hitachi

“Ifell in love with trains by accident.” Kendra Ayling was a fashionista. She didn’t even like trains, let alone love them. After leaving school, she went on to do a degree and a Masters at the London College of Fashion. Her dream had come true - she worked in marketing for Alexander McQueen, Prada and Juicy Couture and she loved it. But she quickly realised that the fashion industry wasn’t right for her, and that the people could be a real challenge to work with - think The DevilWears Prada.

She was offered a contract with Panasonic for a year, to launch their 3D televisions into the UK, and found that she really enjoyed working for a Japanese company. When her contract finished, a six-week temporary contract came up for Agility Trains.

“When I began I was asked if I knew anything about trains - I said ‘I never use trains’!” Her six-week contract with the Hitachiowned firm took place in 2011. Kendra is now Group Head of Brand and Marketing for Hitachi Rail at the age of 31.

“Anything that’s due to leave Hitachi bearing our corporate logo crosses my desk. That covers everything from events and exhibitions, brochures, social media; anything we do where we’re engaging with our customers, suppliers or members of the public. My job is to make sure that it supports the sales team and the wider business in terms of selling new trains.”

Kendra was promoted to her current role in December, leading on marketing across the global business, having been promoted to head of marketing for Hitachi Rail Europe a few years ago.

“One of the joys of being at Hitachi is that it’s so fast moving all the time. When I joined the company six years ago there were 200 people in the whole business. Now we’re up to about 2,600. It has grown really quickly, which has brought amazing opportunities that have allowed me to grow with the business.”

Unlike many Japanese companies, Hitachi’s head office is in London, where Kendra is based. But it hasn’t stopped her being able to travel to Japan frequently for work. And that’s why she couldn’t appear in the group photographs - she was in Japan planning Hitachi’s presence at a big exhibition later in the year.

Planning exhibitions and events is one of Kendra’s favourite roles.

“You get a real sense of family in the rail industry. One of the things I’ve realised is that the industry you work in doesn’t matter, it’s the people that you’re working with that makes the difference and the railway has some of the best people that I’ve ever worked with. If we put on an event or a party, it’s like throwing a party for your friends. Some of the things I do, people talk about for a long time - things like the Hitachi-branded Lego and Monopoly sets we did. People remember us for things like that and they come to us for innovative ideas, which is really rewarding.”

Working in a Japanese company does come with its challenges though - like the nine-hour time difference, restricting the window in which she can talk with Japan-based colleagues to between 2300 and 0100. Kendra’s take on this is that having a work/life balance is not about working 9 to 5 and then going home. She’s quick to mention that it’s her three pugs and Tottenham Hotspur that are her grounding in such a busy life!

In her own words, Kendra is “full of energy”, which is what makes coming from a different industry beneficial to her - she can bring a fresh perspective to the railway.

“If somebody had suggested working in rail, it just wouldn’t have appealed to me at all. I went back to my old school recently to give a talk - it’s an all-girls school in East London.

“When I said I worked in fashion they all went ‘wow’! When I said I worked in rail they all looked really disappointed. I asked them how many of them owned a Prada handbag. One or two people raised their hands. Then ‘how many people own a 3D television?’. Maybe ten or 20 people raised their hands. Then I asked them how many of them had been on a train in the last week and every single person in the room put their hand up. I felt that sense of achievement where you know you’ve touched every single one of their lives somehow - the railway affects people every single day. You’re not going to get that with a handbag. That’s what has made me stay in rail for so long.” n

“The railway affects people every single day. You’re not going to get that with a handbag”