CAREER-VIEW MIRROR - biographies of colleagues in the automotive and mobility industries.
CAREER-VIEW MIRROR offers career lessons from the experiences of senior leaders and rising stars in the exciting global automotive industry. Aquilae's Managing Director, Andy Follows, hosts candid conversations, reflecting on their career journeys to help you with yours.
CAREER-VIEW MIRROR - biographies of colleagues in the automotive and mobility industries.
Alexandra Farrugia: Finding creativity between orchestra and automotive
Alexandra is currently Head of Corporate Accounts at Angle Auto Finance, the largest independent auto financier in Australia. She manages strategic partnerships with some of the country’s biggest dealer groups and plays a key role in the company’s growth journey. Before joining Angle, Alexandra built her automotive career with BMW Group Australia, where she rose to the role of Area Manager. Interestingly, her professional journey began not in business but in music—she studied classical bassoon performance at the Sydney Conservatorium and spent her early career as a freelance musician.
In our conversation, we talk about Alexandra’s upbringing as one of four sisters in a vibrant, achievement-oriented household, her transition from the world of orchestras and auditions to the F&I office of a BMW dealership, and how that unexpected step sparked a fulfilling corporate career. We explore how she learned to create opportunities by asking bold questions, why she now feels more creatively expressed in business than she ever did as a musician, and how her roles in both retail and head office gave her valuable insight into the dealer perspective. We also reflect on the impact of becoming a parent and how it shifted her focus from chasing roles to becoming the kind of person she wants her daughter to look up to.
Connect with Alexandra
About Andy
I'm an experienced business leader and a passionate developer of people in the automotive finance industry, internationally.
During over twenty five years, I have played a key role in developing businesses including Alphabet UK, BMW Corporate Finance UK, BMW Financial Services Singapore, BMW Financial Services New Zealand and Tesla Financial Services UK.
At the same time, I have coached individuals and delivered leadership development programmes in 17 countries across Asia, Europe and North America.
I started Aquilae in 2016 to enable “Fulfilling Performance” in the mobility industry, internationally.
Learn more about Fulfilling Performance
Check out Release the handbrake! The Fulfilling Performance Hub.
Connect with Andy
LinkedIn: Andy Follows
Email: cvm@aquilae.co.uk
Join a guided peer mentoring team: Aquilae Academy
Thank you to our sponsors:
ASKE Consulting
Email: hello@askeconsulting.co.uk
Aquilae
Email: cvm@aquilae.co.uk
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Episode recorded on 23 April, 2025.