The best interviews are often the most personal. In Loves of My Life, we get to know the person behind the career, asking them the important questions we’re desperate to know: their favourite restaurants and date-night spots, the music they’re currently obsessed with, the piece of clothing they’re most attached to and what’s lurking at the bottom of their handbag. In short, these are the little loves of their life.
Nicole Melillo Shaw is the managing director of Volvo Cars UK. She joined the company in March 2020, bringing 18 years of experience in senior marketing roles with world-renowned brands. Throughout her well-established and long-standing career, Nicole has gained experience working in a number of blue-chip companies across health and personal care in both global and local roles.
Volvo Cars UK is one of the most recognisable car brands in the world, with a presence in around 100 business markets. The company focuses on innovation, sustainability, safety, technology and pursuing an all-electric future.
Your career journey is as impressive as they come, spanning a variety of industries; it shows a real ability to step out from your comfort zone and into different territories. How did you navigate this?
I would say probably from a position of always wanting to do something different and wanting to be able to have a balance of offering something new, whilst also being able to learn. So a lot of my transitions have meant that I’ve brought some expertise with me, whether the industries have changed or the culture.
For example, in my early-stage career when I moved (to) E45, I’d come from working with dermatologists and healthcare professionals. For me, it’s always been about the ability to have the balance of offering something in a valuable space, whilst also going on a steep learning curve because I like to keep myself interested and challenge myself.
What drives you professionally?
It’s one of those things that I reflect on more and more; I think you always reflect on it when you’ve just done something really quite different. At Volvo here in the UK, we’ve recently launched a completely new business model, which has really been quite standout in the industry. And so from doing that, one of the things that I can see that I really value and consider is being able to demonstrate the difference that you make.
I’m quite different, not just being female in (the) automotive (industry), in the managing director position, but also with the background that I have. That’s quite a unique set-up. So being able to demonstrate that your unique point of view makes a difference is really important to me because obviously, when you put someone in a role who is different, it’s kind of going to go one of two ways. Being able to really show that this can work, and actually, there are more synergies than you think. So being able to demonstrate a difference is hugely important.
I always think that the aim of anybody, particularly in leadership, is to leave a brand better (after taking) it over, because that’s the whole point of evolving it. I also think making sure that people in the team feel like they have a voice. You know, it’s not just the decision maker, it’s the people who come along the journey that are closer to the activity that can really recommend, really give you the true picture of what’s going on. So I can take those important decisions. Quite often, I think decisions that are wrong or misinformed come from not hearing enough from people, so I’d rather do that in abundance to then make it what is always a grey area decision. So that’s very important to me.
Also, I think making sure you do something that you absolutely love is extremely important. Now, it doesn’t mean that, a bit like parenting, you have to love it every minute of every day. You don’t have to wake up and be, you know, excited. That’s not reality. But knowing why you’re doing something and knowing what motivates you and finding that that anchors you. For me, the automotive industry is fantastic, but the anchoring points of my why are all about being able to motivate and drive change. So I’m so clear on that. It really helps the difficult times, the challenging times, because I’m very clear on why I’m doing it. I think being able to identify with those passion points is really critical, because otherwise, you get burnt out quite quickly.
Why did you want to join Volvo?
I think it’s a question that gets asked a lot because it’s not a natural move to go from healthcare to automotive, although it is more so when you get down to the actual deployment of it; we need to sell a product to a consumer, and so, the appeal to work with Volvo was that. Volvo consumers tend to be more family-oriented, and the brand has a huge heritage. So if you think about the fact that we always champion where we’ve come from as well as where we’re going (side note: we always show our more modern electric products), but we very much recognise the journey we’ve been on and celebrate the evolution rather than trying to depart from it.
You can find synergies between the role that I came into initially here at Volvo, which was consumer director, and my time at E45. To answer your question, the big thing there, I suppose, is the idea of being able to make a difference. Most people in automotive have been in the industry for a long, long time. I feel like I represent the underdog in the sense that I don’t come into the industry as a passionate car buyer. I came into the industry because I drive a car and I like a nice car, but that means I’m almost the litmus test for the consumer journey because I’m representing the layperson. And also , I’ve been through that purchase journey in a very real way. So coming in as a consumer director, I just thought, well, literally, I can sit in meetings and provide a new, real voice.
And what I would say is great about Volvo is that they sought out that voice. So when the recruitment was happening, it was very much that they wanted someone outside of the automobile industry, somebody who’s had that professional growth in other strong companies and arenas. So, it was almost like a perfect meeting when I came into the interview, and we could both see what we had to offer.
How do you show up as an effective leader for your team?
Historically, I’ve worked in cultures where it’s been very much top-down, duty-bound. I’ve also worked in cultures where it’s been very process-led. So, actually, you might have an opinion, but the process then slows all of that down. Through all of those opportunities and different managers, what I have learned is that, vitally, people need to be heard. There’s nothing more demotivating than working in a company where you feel like just another person. It’s really important that we recognise everyone as a person and what they can bring, and that there is an opportunity to challenge or change things.
Again, if you don’t think that you can stop something in its tracks or shape something, then you’re probably not going to be motivated to contribute. Being heard is absolutely fundamental. Also, I think everyone has to go on their journey of identifying what holds them back. Because, you know, we’ve all got whatever we’ve arrived at. There’s always been a journey that we’ve all been on that makes us more vocal or less vocal. And I want people to come into Volvo and leave feeling like they have evolved in some way. So, however long they’re here for, I want them to possess a positive experience, and they can say that was a highlight of their career, and that they learned how to speak up and how to challenge respectfully. What my role is about is that I’m a decision maker and an “unblocker”, essentially. But to get to that, as I said, I need to hear from people in the organisation.
So that’s kind of the main point, but I think the other thing is being inspirational. I think the one thing that you have to recognise when you’re in a leadership position is that people are looking at you. People want to see what you have to say. They really listen to you, to take a temperature check of the organisation, what you might be doing next, how you’re feeling about things, announcements and all of that kind of thing. So I put a lot of pressure on myself to make sure that I can inspire and motivate and bring people along with me, and that’s really important.
And having some fun along the way is really important too. You can’t have fun with people if everybody’s terrified of speaking up. You can’t have fun with people if you don’t know who they are. So, I think all of that together just makes it an enjoyable place. And we all know that if you enjoy something, you’re likely to stay longer and feel more fulfilled.
(Image credit: Future; Nicole Melillo Shaw; Volvo UK)
You recently held a press event titled Power & Pause. What do those words mean to you?
“Power” is an interesting word. For me, it’s about recognising those who are in a position of power who really get the opportunity to shape the culture, the organisation, and, lastly, lead by example. Even with the day-to-day tasks of, say, dropping the children off on their first day of school. Those kinds of things are really important because there are quite a lot of people who would say, well, “this isn’t the company for me”, if they couldn’t support their family in that way. So I think demonstrating that they can is key.
The ‘pause’ element is really about making sure that we recharge at those moments so that you can be your best, because there is no way that you can operate at one million miles per hour constantly. We are in an industry where there are two very clear peaks in the year, so we have March and September registration periods, and we’re in the thick of it now. The February and August leading up to it are intense as well.
That’s not to say the rest of the months we relax—we certainly don’t, but we need everybody operating at 100% in those months, so therefore, if there’s some flexibility needed in the other months, that has to happen, otherwise we won’t be ready for that demand. You know, in March we did nearly 11,800 deliveries, which is record-breaking in every sense of the word. You can’t do that every day. So we need to make sure that we fuel people with enough energy, like you would if you did a marathon.
The whole thing was around looking after yourself and making sure that, together, we create a culture that allows us to achieve our goals. Because if you do the two, which is hopefully what I’m demonstrating, then you can not only achieve the same goals, but people will be more fulfilled, more rested, and more able to deal with the ups and downs in what is an incredibly chaotic industry at the moment.
Outside of work, what are your main passion points?
So I would say, definitely spending time with family. We always make time to have proper family holidays, which is really, really important to me, my partner, and our two young girls. It’s always the balance, isn’t it, of family time, time alone, and time with your partner, and that’s not even including seeing friends. So, we try to make sure we’ve got all of those things covered, although it is quite challenging.
I would say that my friends bring a different dynamic to my life, aside from my family and my husband, which is really important. We live in a very small village and I have two particular friends with whom I spend a lot of time. They are also in very high-powered positions but in totally different industries, which enables us to not only be on the same page but also understand the dynamics of our work. Ultimately, we can just laugh at some of the things that were maybe quite intense during the week, and we can recharge and decompress together. Time with my husband, time with family, time with friends is all really, really critical.
What are your aspirations and hopes for the future, both professionally and personally?
Professionally, the direct model that we have launched and that we are in the thick of, there’s a real opportunity now to take it to the next level. So that’s my passion and my motivation for what we’re doing right now, as there’s an opportunity now to really get closer to the consumer, which is basically my background coming to the fore, and my specialty in connecting with consumers. Now, we can really dial into that, which is really exciting, and get ready for the renewals that come through next June.
Personally, I mean, my husband and I are in a new chapter now because our youngest daughter started school last week. So it feels like there’s been a bit of a shift, as we now have two little girls rather than a toddler and an older one, so I feel like there’s a feeling of just growth within the family now, which allows us to do things differently.
So, are you a podcast, radio or playlist kind of driver?
Well, I’m usually speaking on the phone. If I’m not, it would definitely be the radio, and typically a station that’s got a bit of nostalgia to it, that takes me back to my university days, that kind of thing.
Tell me about your in-car essentials. What do you need in your car day-to-day?
Well, in tandem with my job, I get new cars quite often, so they start quite empty. But I always, always end up with a pack of baby wipes for obvious reasons, having two young girls. We have charging facilities in the car, but I always have a backup charger because I’ve got multiple phones, and finally, a water bottle always—I’ve got to stay hydrated.
What do you love to do in your spare time?
Definitely, definitely heading to the gym. I also have a Saturday dance class that I absolutely love, with highly choreographed dance routines, which really energises me. I adore spending time with my best friend, too. I love doing that, having a one-to-one. She’s a very deep thinker and very different from me in her job, so she comes at things in different ways. So, when I have that spare time and it isn’t with the family, I would then do those things.
What does R&R look like to you? How do you decompress?
My favourite thing is a massage. I love a good massage! I always forget to book them in. And then, of course, if you’ve got a free moment that day, there’s never any opportunity. But when I do remember, it is my favourite thing by far. I don’t have anything that’s going to make me squirm, just a gentle full-body, light massage. It’s much appreciated!
Let’s say you’re escaping home for the weekend. Where are you and your family heading?
My husband and I love going to the Cotswolds, so that’s where we tend to head. I mean, we don’t really go away very often, but we make the time as our anniversary and our birthdays are very close together. We like to combine all three things and go away for a night or two; we just love that feeling of calm.
What is your favourite destination for inspiration? You can pick anywhere in the world.
Gosh, this makes me feel like I’m very undertravelled! I think, for inspiration, one place that comes to mind is Sorrento. We went to Sorrento for our honeymoon, and my dad is from Naples, so there’s a connection there as well. I have been brought up in a very authentic Italian family, and there’s that feeling of connection. Because of our honeymoon, it holds that special memory.
(Image credit: Future; Nicole Melillo Shaw; Volvo UK)
What’s your favourite restaurant in the whole world, and what’s your typical order?
I only really go to restaurants for special occasions with my husband. Because we only dine out a handful of times a year, we always go for the tasting menu. The restaurant that we have loved and gone back to, I think, four years in a row now, is in Marbella. It’s an Andalusian haute cuisine restaurant called Skina, and it does the most amazing taster menu with wine pairing, which we do every time we go there. It’s really special.
Do you collect anything?
My husband would say clothes, but I do not collect anything. I don’t. I don’t! But I do. I do buy clothes a lot, so maybe that’s the answer to that. But no, I don’t collect anything per se.
What are your favourite fashion brands?
So, the first one would be River Island. I quite like a lot of its pieces for the office, as their workwear is contemporary but not too controversial for business. Also, I was recently introduced to Nadine Merabi’s brand, which I wore to attend the BAFTAs after-party. I bought an amazing dress from that label, which is now definitely a go-to for special occasions. The quality is on another level.
What’s your latest obsession?
It’s funny thinking about anything else that I have time to be obsessed with! I think, now that the girls are a bit older, my goal is to find that time in the evening where I sit down with my husband and try and watch something that we like. The last thing we watched was Mobland, which was 10 episodes. Every single one was gripping, and so we both enjoyed it because it had a bit of something for him or more something for me. So, that’s probably the closest I can say where I was really obsessed with something, and we’re just trying to find that equivalent now. I am open to recommendations!
What is the most treasured item in your wardrobe?
It has got to be my wedding dress, not for the kind of obvious reasons. Obviously, it’s my wedding dress. My granddad was incredibly influential to me growing up and a huge part of my journey, and was my hero whom I looked up to, and taught me a lot of life lessons. Sadly, he passed away when I was about 20 weeks pregnant, so he didn’t get to meet our eldest, but he knew I was very happy with my husband, and we had a house and all the things that he would want me to have. And so in the skirt of the wedding dress, I have his RAF emblem that he gave to me, and I got it stitched in there so nobody really knew it was there, but me. And it was a really special moment for me knowing that on the wedding day.
What’s a beauty product you can’t live without?
I feel like I’m on a journey with makeup because I’ve always been very basic. Now, having had a few opportunities to have makeup done recently, I’ve kind of got into a bit more. I like a dewy look, and some of the Charlotte Tilbury products work well for this. There are a couple of Beauty Pie things, such as a lovely coral lipstick. I feel like I’ve now got my essentials kit and I can actually achieve a few different looks when I get a minute.
And do you have a favourite scent or perfume?
My favourite perfume is the one I selected for our wedding, which I’ve since stuck to: L’Interdit by Givenchy. It’s really lovely. It’s not too heavy, but it has a hint of vanilla. I smelled it and instantly felt that it was perfect, and so I’ve had it ever since.
I’d love to hear a piece of advice that someone you love gave you that always stuck with you.
There’s a big gap between me and my siblings. So I, being the older one by far, really felt like I learned to trust myself and my decisions a lot. And one of the things that really resonated is something that my granddad once told me. He said, “If you’re undecided what to do, flip a coin, and it’s not at the point that it lands that you’ll know what you want—it’s at the point where it’s falling”, because you’ll know which way you want it to land. It links back to trusting your gut feel because it means you knew anyway. You just perhaps weren’t quite ready to make the decision. So, the worst decisions in my life have always been when I’ve ignored my gut feeling. So I always try to trust it because there is something physically telling you which way to go.
We kind of touched upon this before, but what are the three key things that empower and drive you today?
Being better, always being better. The other thing, I suppose, is not striving for perfection, because it’s unrealistic. You know, women always get asked about balance, don’t they? And can you balance this, balance that, but the only thing you can do is do your best with that right decision in that moment. You just have to go make that decision and then course correct where you see fit.
And a third one, I suppose, would be to inspire. I like I think about my legacy— I’d love people to think about something I’d contributed that made them think differently. For me, it’s about being able to offer something that really resonates with somebody and makes a difference. I think that would make me feel better that, as a leader, as a mum, as a wife, that I’d made a really positive, influential impact.
(Image credit: Future; Nicole Melillo Shaw; Volvo UK)
Who fills up your cup?
I’ll start with my husband, my number one, mainly because he manages me day-to-day, whether it’s the ups and downs of what’s going on at work, or all the other life things. He has a point, which is, “Don’t beat yourself up; I’m not going to let you question yourself.” And so, whatever we talk through, that’s his kind of strong position. He definitely fills my cup in that way.
Secondly, my mum. We don’t live very close, but we’re on the phone frequently, and she always has a different perspective. And then my children, in the sense that I have a lot of opportunities to really remind myself why I’m doing the job I do. Being able to sit with them at the end of the hard days and spending quality time with them really enables me to fill up my cup.
Who is your professional hero?
Emma Greed— I am a big fan of hers. She started with humble beginnings, as did I. She proves that you have to trust your gut feeling to navigate through turbulent times. She is one of the most successful businesswomen on paper, certainly in the UK. I love her attitude. She talks a lot about not beating yourself up. She talks about other mums potentially questioning where you were, and you being very honest with the fact that you’re at work, and not apologizing for that. And although I might approach it slightly differently, she’s so strong in her reasoning and what she’s done. I’ve listened to a few of her podcasts, and it really resonates with me.
Who is your personal hero?
Oh, that’s a difficult one. I would say if I had to pick one, it would have to be my granddad. The reason I hesitate is that my mum has been fundamental to everything in my life. It’s largely been her and me for the first ten years of my life. However, from a parenting point of view, my granddad was always there, in terms of dropping off and collecting me from school, then looking after me day-to-day.
The nurturing that I got from him and the introduction to the role of a male figure were so positive, and that’s all down to him. I’ve got such fond memories of going on holiday together, and he always made that happen. He always pushed me to do more and taught me basic financial acumen. He would say, “Look after the pennies because the pounds look after themselves!”
And what is the love of your life?
Ironically, the first thing I thought was my ability to go to my dance class and, really, you know, unwind after a busy week. Interestingly, there’s a song that we always do at the end, which talks about being a workaholic, that then connects into the other part of it, which is definitely “work”. I absolutely love the role I’m in and the responsibility and position I have. Like we previously spoke about, it’s a mixture of the “power” and the “pause”. It’s the work element, and the ability to then decompress with this amazing dance class that I have.
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