Day in the Life: Lauren Brown, Managing Director at T10 Automotive

T10 Automotive is a motor sector training company on the grow, and at the centre of operations at the company’s West Sussex HQ, is Managing Director Lauren Brown.

“We opened our first dedicated campus in Chichester in January,” she explains. “Our office is now based upstairs.” Despite leading a growing organisation, Brown remains closely involved in day-to-day operations. “My working day is centred on people – trainers, partners and learners alike.”

She will begin the day catching up with her emails, but she prefers to keep in touch more directly. “I’m old-school and I prefer to make phone calls. In fact, my phone is probably my favourite tool.” Once her inbox is dealt with, she then get in touch with the trainers delivering courses for T10 Automotive’s partners, to make sure they have everything they need.

Quality, consistency and progression

T10 began its journey working with Jaguar Land Rover across Europe. “Over time,” says Brown, “our focus shifted into the aftermarket, where we now operate primarily through LKQ Academy, delivering training nationally in partnership with LKQ Euro Car Parts. That partnership is key to how we operate. It allows us to focus on quality, consistency and progression while reaching technicians and businesses right across the UK and beyond.”

Today, T10 works with a large network of trainers delivering courses across the country, covering everything from EV and ADAS to front-of-house and management training. Courses are offered to clients at their premises across the UK. “Our trainers can be everywhere from Aberdeen to Newton Abbott across any given week, all the way down to Kent and along the south coast. We operate across Ireland too.”

Courses are delivered in person and digitally. During the pandemic, the business became the first automotive training provider to deliver augmented reality training using RealWear headsets. “We didn’t do it to be clever,” says Brown. “This was a practical approach that solved a major problem. People still needed support, development and progression at a time when everything else had stopped. However, it also created new opportunities, and we have continued to embrace these.”

On what gets her bounding through the door in the morning, Brown says: “My favourite part of the job is the people. Training only works when people feel supported and confident. Whether it’s a trainer delivering a course, someone stepping into a new role, or an apprentice finding their feet, that’s what makes the job worthwhile.”

Natural extension

With this side of the operation in hand, expanding the business is Brown’s major focus now. Alongside T10 Automotive, She has recently launched two new strands of the business. “I formed two companies during December and early January,” she says, beaming. “A training provider is by its nature transactional and we want to offer much more than that.”

T10 Arena focuses on learning and development tools, while T10 Performance delivers consultative support to businesses. “They are a natural extension of what we already do,” she explains.  “It’s about supporting people at every stage of their career and helping the industry build something sustainable.”

With these businesses going live at the end of January, just after the opening of T10’s new training centre, Brown is set to be busy for the rest of the year and beyond. “The opening of the training centre and the launch of our new companies represent more than growth; they mark a turning point. Automotive is a people industry. If we get the people part right, everything else follows.”