Erin Gilchrist, VP of Fleet Evangelism at IntelliShift, is no stranger to the fleet industry. Before working at IntelliShift, she managed Safelite Autoglass’s national fleet of commercial vehicles.

And before that, she held roles in retail management and supply chain, where she oversaw how products flow through the manufacturing, distribution, and logistics processes to reach customers.

When it comes to growing into a fleet manager role, Gilchrist said, “When I started with Safelite, I was in a process analyst role. My background in safety, distribution centers, process, and retail operations helped build a foundation of skill sets I could utilize in a fleet management role.”

With over 20 years in the industry, her main goal is building a community in the fleet industry.

With the help of fleet and safety operations managers, she can help share winning strategies and discover the next groundbreaking technologies that improve an organization’s metrics.

She added, “It’s been a great run, and the fleet industry has taught me everything I need to know. Now, I’m still involved in the fleet community, but in a different way. And in a way, I can still feel like a fleet manager.”

Improving Fleets Through Community

IntelliShift is a fleet intelligence platform that offers telematics and operational safety. As VP of Fleet Evangelism, Gilchrist’s role involves “evangelizing” about safety, data stewardship, and sustainability in the fleet industry every week on her podcast.

She added, “I get to evangelize about things that I believe are in the hearts and minds of fleet managers like myself. My goal is to create a community of people who can interact differently than we have been able to in the past by sharing ideas and best practices.”

To elevate fleet managers’ careers, she can also use her community to improve IntelliShift’s business. In her podcast, she gets down to the nitty-gritty of fleet management: What managers need, what products are important, and how they want their information.

With that information, IntelliShift can improve its products and customer experience. She said, “I get to sit in that fleet manager’s chair and speak on behalf of our prospects and customers. Because our goal is to help fleet managers elevate their careers and create the safest and most efficient fleets. So it’s the best of both worlds. I feel fortunate.”

Arising Through Tough Situations

Fleet managers are no strangers to challenging situations. They must wear multiple hats to operate a fleet efficiently and stay calm in emergencies.

What helped Gilchrist find the strength to combat challenges in her career and grow as a person is her family.

“I think it stems from this big family I grew up with. When tough situations arise today, I feel like I have a foundation and armor that doesn’t put up walls but allows me to fully experience the hardships and forge through them with grace and dignity,” she said.

She also adds that being a parent and a philanthropist has taught her humility, vulnerability, and awareness, which she can use in the workplace when building a community in the industry.

She is “grateful for the experiences and things they’ve given me so that I can grow and evolve consistently.”

Commitment to Change

What moves the needle in any industry is a commitment to change and a community believing in that commitment.

Solving problems such as safety, sustainability, and accident prevention are top priorities in the industry. Without a strong community of determined minds, none of the problems will get solved.

With the help of Gilchrist’s community, they can tackle those problems head-on.

“What I loved so much is now we’re sharing the impact we’re having on people. We’re saving lives through accident prevention and the impact on the environment. We’re always thinking at least five years out, and I think our commitment to change, and evolution is unmatched,” she added.