Inspiring Women in Fleet: why there is no single path to success

For Stephanie Westrik, Head of Client Relations at Ayvens, some of the most important career decisions have come down to one simple question: “Will I regret it if I don’t try?”.

It is a question that has taken her from the courtroom to the world of fleet and mobility, and later from a legal role into commercial leadership. Along the way, she has learned that building a successful career isn’t about having all the answers. It is about understanding your strengths, trusting your instincts and being willing to step into the unknown.

At this year’s Inspiring Women in Fleet (IWIF) gathering in Lisbon, Stephanie brought these lessons to the wider fleet and mobility community, sharing her perspective on recognising individual strengths and building a career that doesn’t necessarily follow a straight line.

Stephanie’s career began far from fleet management. For around 12 years, she worked as a lawyer in Amsterdam, specialising in litigation and bankruptcy law. But there was already a connection to the automotive world: many of her clients were large car dealerships, giving her an early introduction to an industry she found fast-moving and dynamic.

After becoming a mother, Stephanie began questioning whether the traditional path towards partnership was really the one she wanted to pursue.

“I was working in quite an old-fashioned industry at the time,” she recalls. “I wanted to find a way to better combine my family and professional life.”

That search eventually brought her to LeasePlan, where she joined the international legal team at its headquarters. What began as a change in working environment became a long-term career in mobility. Sixteen years later, now at Ayvens, she is still in the industry and, as she puts it, still enjoying it.

Then, eight years into her mobility career, another opportunity emerged: the chance to move beyond legal and into a commercial role.

Despite the uncertainty, Stephanie knew she wanted to take the opportunity. “The answer was immediately yes,” she recalls.

The transition was daunting. Stephanie remembers questioning whether she had enough experience to succeed. Advice from the people around her helped change that perspective. One former manager described the challenge simply: “Jump in the pool and learn how to swim.”

Another reassured her that knowing even 20% in the first year of a new position could already be an achievement.

It helped Stephanie recognise something that has become central to her approach to careers and leadership: you don’t have to know everything to have something valuable to contribute. “Everybody has their own talents,” she says. “You need to step into the ones you have and cultivate them. And where you still need to develop, embrace it. It’s okay. I’m still learning every day.”

Being able to say “I don’t know” is part of that.

Stephanie credits her legal background with teaching her never to give an answer she cannot stand behind. In commercial life, she applies the same principle. Rather than promise something without knowing whether it can be delivered, she prefers to investigate, ask for support and come back with the right answer.

For Stephanie, that openness isn't a weakness. “It’s not a sign of vulnerability. It’s a sign of strength, because you want to develop or find a better solution.”

That mindset goes hand in hand with another piece of advice Stephanie shares with people entering the mobility sector: build your network.

Her own ability to connect with customers and colleagues is something she says she underestimated earlier in her career. Over time, she came to see those relationships as one of her strengths.

“If you have that network, it will support you,” she says.

For Stephanie, building relationships isn’t simply about expanding your professional network. It is about creating a community you can learn from, turn to for expertise and continue growing alongside.

Stephanie’s participation in Inspiring Women in Fleet continues a relationship with the initiative that stretches back to before Ayvens was created.

In 2022, ALD Automotive partnered with Fleet Europe to organise the first Inspiring Women in Fleet gathering at the Fleet Europe Summit, bringing women from across the international fleet and mobility industry together to connect and exchange experiences. The success of that first gathering helped lay the foundations for the broader Inspiring Women in Fleet community that followed.

Following the merger of ALD Automotive and LeasePlan and the creation of Ayvens, that connection has continued. Today, Inspiring Women in Fleet provides a platform for conversations around career development, networking, mentorship and the experiences of women across the mobility industry.

Those conversations also reflect changes Stephanie has witnessed first-hand during her own career. She sees more women taking on prominent positions across the sector, while fleet itself has evolved into a broader mobility conversation bringing together different functions, expertise and perspectives.

For Stephanie, however, the evolution of the industry is ultimately about recognising the strengths people bring. “I don’t really think in terms of the difference between men and women, but more in terms of talent,” she says.

What she finds encouraging is seeing a broader range of people and perspectives represented across the industry, with more women feeling able to pursue opportunities and build careers on their own terms.

Stephanie's experience also points to a broader lesson about careers: progress does not always mean moving upwards.

“A career is not going to be doing this all the time,” she says, gesturing to the idea of a continuously rising trajectory. “It could also be a sidestep and learning something else. It isn't always about the next salary or the next step higher in the organisation.”

Instead, she encourages people to consider where they find energy and what they genuinely want from their next move.

And occasionally, that means listening to something less tangible. “We spend too much time in our heads,” she says. Stephanie believes our internal dialogue can easily focus on what could go wrong or what we lack. Sometimes, trusting your instincts can offer a clearer answer. “Following your gut feeling is okay to do.” ​ Ultimately, her advice comes back to the question that has guided her own career. If an opportunity excites you but scares you a little, ask yourself: will I regret it if I don't try? Sometimes, asking the question is enough to take the next step.