Nikkie King OBE

Honorary Chair Isuzu Truck (UK) and School academies expert

Type of expert: Transportation

Areas of expertise: Business, Business women, C-Suite level, CEO, Education, Employment, Expert Women, Former CEO's, Managing Director, Manufacturing, Technology, Transport

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Nikki King OBE – Honorary Chairman and Former Managing Director, Isuzu Truck (UK) Ltd, Chairman of Greenacre Academies Trust, Member of the Head Teacher Board for the south East and South London

Nikki King is an extraordinarily charismatic businesswoman who rose to the top of her profession, in a business sector traditionally dominated by men, through her sheer talent and determination. Her fields of expert include business, the economy, women in the workplace beyond quotas and glass ceilings, customer care and the education of young people to get them ready for the world of work.

Nikki is renowned as a leading force and spokesperson for her industry, campaigning for safety improvements to roadside recovery procedures and having held many prominent positions on industry boards. She returned to work as a part-time secretary at 35, having taken an eight year career break in order to raise her family. Five years later she began working full time and since then has constantly confounded the perceived wisdom of ‘glass ceilings’ and the perception of a woman at the very top in a man’s world.

Nikki achieved her success through her outstanding leadership and interpersonal skills, developing close working relationships with her staff and dealerships at every level. She has a passion for customer care, for which the company has won several awards. In 2002 Nikki was awarded an OBE for services to the road transport industry.
In 2010 Nikki received an honorary doctorate from Staffordshire University for her work in inspiring women in industry and producing exemplary customer service. She has since been awarded a second honorary doctorate from the University of Hertfordshire and is now a Doctor of Science.

Nikki and Isuzu Truck UK was the subject of the Channel 4 series of Undercover Boss. She has been the lead guest twice on BBC Two’s The Daily Politics.

She was a panellist on BBC 1’s Question Time and has been a guest on Radio 4’s The Bottom Line a number of times. She has been a panel member for Radio 4’s Any Questions twice and has been invited back for a third appearance this year. Nikki has also been a guest of Radio 4’s Analysis programme and was recently on Radio 4’s popular weekly show Saturday Live. She was a guest speaker in a debate at the prestigious Oxford Union, opposing the motion “The Only Way to Break the Glass Ceiling is through the use of Quotas in the Workplace.” She was on a team with Rupert Soames OBE and the Rt Hon Hazel Blears MP. The team won by a landslide.

Nikki was also chosen as a mentor for a Radio 4 Woman’s Hour strand about women in business. She successfully mentored a company called Women In Waders. She has also been a guest on Radio 4’s Saturday Live and Sunday morning’s Broadcasting House.
Nikki is passionate about educating young people and preparing them for their careers in work. She is Chairman of the Greenacre Academy Trust in Kent. She is also the only business leader in the country to have been appointed to one of the Dept of Education’s eight Head Teacher Boards.
Nikki authored a whole page in the Daily Mail about how being a grandmother and babysitting her grand daughters two days a week is more challenging than running a multi million pound business.

Her appointment as a non Executive Director for the charity Catch22 Social Enterprises and its offshoot Auto 22, was highlighted in an interview in The Times. ITV’s Tonight primetime programme has filmed Nikki at Isuzu HQ in Hatfield for a programme focusing on businesses with an enlightened approach to staff and management.
Nikki was recently the Big Boss guest on Radio 5Live’s On The Money. Nikki has been featured in many business magazines, including Management Today, Business Network, the Hertfordshire Business Independent and Customer Focus, the magazine of the Institute of Customer Service.

Nikki is invited by many major organisations to give presentations, which she does on a regular basis.
She was instrumental in the creation of RISC, the Recovery Industry Support Charity, and in 2007 Nikki was awarded a prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award at the European Tow Show, which was followed by another Lifetime Achievement Award at the First Women Awards in 2009. The First Women Awards recognise women who are pioneers in business and individuals who are helping to remove historical barriers.

Nikki received a special Service To Industry Award at the Motor Transport Awards 2012 for her outstanding contribution to the road transport industry. Nikki was also the first winner of the Spirit of everywoman Award at the FTA everywoman in Transport and Logistics Awards 2013.

In her role as Managing Director at Isuzu Truck UK she built a leading-edge distribution network and made customer service the cornerstone of the company. After a management buyout in 2004, Nikki led the company to the successful multi- million pound business it is today. In 2013 she completed a sale of the company to Isuzu Motors Japan, thereby securing its long term future and investment opportunities.

Nikki stepped down as MD of Isuzu Truck UK in October 2013 and is now its Honorary Chairman. While she continues to be involved with the company, she is also passionate about education and mentoring young people.

children, schools,investment, investments, Brexit, school, education

Award winning former honorary Chairwoman / Chairman of the UK division of a vehicle manufacturers / manufacturing firm. Imports and exports expert. Trucks.