I was born in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire and was brought up in South Wales and later in Nottingham. I joined the Royal Navy at the age of 18, and attended the Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth specialising in logistics and administration.

During my 32 years of service in the Royal Navy, I was fortunate enough to carry out a number of different roles and to visit a large number of fascinating locations including Africa, Europe, Australia, the Middle and Far East.

I completed my 32 years service on the staff of Commander British Forces Gibraltar, leaving in 1993 in the rank of Commander.

I then joined TGS as the Logistics Manager, and spent much of my time designing new options and sourcing equipment for the new ambulance venture. In 1996 I took over responsibility for the Administration Section, as well as Logistics, and became the principal point of contact on After Sales matters. I have thus found myself at the centre of many of the changes in the company which have taken place over the last 14 years, a level of experience which has given me a detailed knowledge of most aspects of TGS activities, which in turn provides a sound basis for the investigation and solution of After Sales problems.

I am married with four grown-up children, and have made my permanent home in Gibraltar. I am a keen sports enthusiast, particularly rugby, and am very interested in the military heritage of Gibraltar as well as exploring southern Spain. In my spare time I act as the Honorary Secretary of the Gibraltar Red Cross.

I was born in Gibraltar in 1971 and joined the Group in 1993 after successfully completing a BSc Honours degree in Computerised Accountancy at the University of East Anglia, Norwich in the U.K.

After spending 12 months in the Accounts Department of the Domestic Company, I was given the opportunity to transfer to the newly established Freight Department of the Export business in which I was heavily involved in its set up and helped to design the systems that are still in use today. During my time in the Freight Department, my knowledge of geography improved immensely and the experience gave me good grounding in the potential problems in sending vehicles to complex destinations.

In November 1998, I returned to work on a part time basis after the birth of my first daughter. I then became Sales Administration Supervisor, dealing with correspondence with TMC Japan, vehicle ordering, advising TMC of vehicle sales for warranty purposes and production of sales reports for internal purposes.

Having gained a sound knowledge of company operations, I joined the After Sales Department in April 2005, and enjoy the wide variety of challenging problems we face on a daily basis.

I live in Gibraltar with my husband and three children. I enjoy spending time outdoors with my family and try to go power walking a few times a week to keep fit.

The Department consists of the After Sales Manager and an After Sales Supervisor, and is responsible for the resolution of any problems after the point of sale, coordinating where necessary the activities of other departments. In practical terms this means that the After Sales Department is the principal point of contact for any customer who has a problem with his vehicle, be that problem associated with the options fitted by Workshops, any theft or damage to the vehicle during transit, and any warranty problems after the arrival of the vehicle in country.

Our mission is to be recognised as the No 1 provider of vehicle after sales service to the UN and NGO community world-wide.

Initial queries can vary from how to start a vehicle with a flat battery, to needing an explanation of the workings of a vehicle alarm system, to advice on correct positioning of transit fuses which control different systems within each vehicle.

The After Sales Department therefore aims to respond to every query within the same working day, and in the case of more complex problems, to provide an outline solution within 24 hours.

TGS sends a large number of vehicles to some very unusual parts of the world, and many of the places served are active trouble spots. It is therefore not surprising that some vehicles suffer problems during their transit. TGS After Sales Department is tasked to take action to rectify these problems, and using the experience gained, to try to foresee and prevent problems from arising in the first place. The After Sales Manager is responsible for the Marine Cargo Insurance policy which is held with Lloyds of London, and provides advice and assistance both internally and to clients. The policy covers the vehicles and their contents from our Warehouse until delivery to the client.

In the case of theft from or damage to a vehicle, action will be decided by the Freight Terms under which the order was despatched. If transit insurance was included (CIF or CIP) the insurance claim process will be started by the After Sales Department sending out full instructions on the claim procedure required by the insurance company, and the After Sales Department will monitor the claim through to successful completion. This process will include advice on documentation required, provision of parts estimates for the repair and the actual submission of the claim to insurers. At the successful conclusion of a claim, the After Sales Department will ensure that all repairs are paid for, and any required parts are despatched to the client. The process requires frequent liaison with the client, as well as contact with the insurance company and with the local Lloyd’s Agent in the event of more serious claims.

Most countries have formal Toyota representation in the shape of an official Toyota Distributor. In these cases all TGS vehicles are adopted by the local Toyota Distributor for warranty, and the local Distributor provides the Pre Delivery Inspection and issues the Toyota Warranty Booklet which details the warranty available. This is arranged by Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) in Japan, who informs each Distributor of the arrival of TGS vehicles on their territory, and asks them to carry out PDI etc. under the terms of their Distributor Agreement. This process normally works smoothly, and no intervention from TGS is required. However, on occasions, the advice from Japan does not arrive on time, and the local Distributor is then reluctant to provide warranty service until he has been re-assured that the vehicles are entitled to full Toyota Warranty. In theses cases TGS AS Department acts as a link between the local Distributor and TMC to ensure that correct information is passed on, and warranty is quickly applied.

TGS fits a number of vehicle options which are not manufactured by Toyota, and warranty for these items is provided by TGS, reflecting the original manufacturer’s warranty. This means that TGS will sometimes provide the necessary warranty service, even if there is a Toyota Distributor in country. Generally this will be arranged through the local Toyota Distributor, with TGS either sending replacement parts or paying for rectification to be carried out by the Toyota Distributor. This process is again managed by the TGS After Sales Department.

When there is no Toyota Distributor in country, TGS provides a full warranty service direct to the client, covering the first 20,000kms or 12 months, whichever comes first. Once informed of a problem that requires warranty treatment, TGS After Sales Department will take the necessary advice from the technical departments, and will coordinate a response to the client, ensuring that any required parts are sent promptly, and if necessary making third party arrangements for a repair to be carried out. These third party arrangements can sometimes require TGS to establish a working relationship with a local repair organisation, and over the years TGS have established partnership arrangements with organisations working in Afghanistan, Iraq, Guinea, Ivory Coast and previously in the Balkans. These are managed by the TGS After Sales Department.

There are a myriad of other problems which do not fall under any single neat heading, but TGS After Sales Department will always act as a point of contact with our customers, coordinating the response from other departments as necessary. Our aim is always to provide a prompt and satisfactory solution for all our customers, whatever the problem, and wherever the customer or vehicle may be. We are proud of the level of service achieved so far, but are always ready to learn and to improve. Please stay in touch.