Women in Fleet: Watson of WEX

The Women in Fleet profile series introduces fleet managers to some of the most influential women in fleet. Every month, we get to know another positive force in the fleet industry. 

This month, we spoke with Peggy Watson, SVP, product and marketing, global fleet for WEX.

Getting into Fleet

Watson has been a part of the WEX team for more than 20 years now. 

She is responsible for understanding customer needs and turning those needs into products and services that help them to run their businesses better.

“More specifically, my role spans market research, brand, and positioning of the global fleet product set, demand generation, digital marketing, customer marketing, product management, and new product development for North America and Europe,” Watson explained. 

Shortly after getting married, Watson and her husband decided to move from Massachusetts to Maine, where he is from initially – and Portland, Maine, just happens to be the headquarters for WEX. 

“I wanted to find a marketing position, and my sister-in-law raved about her employer, Wright Express (now WEX). There was a marketing role open, and, as they say, the rest is history. I’ve had the distinct privilege of working at WEX during periods of tremendous change and growth and have been able to learn and grow along the way. I started as a database marketing manager and today serve as SVP of product and marketing,” Watson explained.

During her tenure at WEX, Watson has had the opportunity to work on many amazing projects. 

“Two standouts in recent history. First is DriverDash, a fleet-specific digital payment app in which we were first to market within the commercial fleet space. Second is the modernization and digitization of our marketing engines, which are very data and results-driven. That work has spanned proprietary models to cutting edge new technologies to performance dashboards using extremely effective data visualization. All are making us better able to serve our customers,” she shared. 

What’s keeping Watson motivated after two decades in fleet? “The pace of change and the people. I can’t say enough about the culture and the people at WEX—I have the opportunity to develop deep relationships with so many partners and customers,” she said.

And, when asked for advice for others in the industry or looking to jump in? 

“I never could have imagined how interesting and cutting-edge this industry could be … it’s cliched but true in this instance: don’t judge a book by its cover,” Watson said.

Get to Know Me

Experience is only part of our story and what someone likes to read, watch, and listen to can help paint a fuller picture of their personality. Here are some of Watson’s favorites: 

Book: “So hard to choose, but I always enjoy humor, so one that comes to mind is A Prayer for Owen Meany, by a famous New Englander, John Irving. It has a slow start, but the book made me laugh out loud. It’s one of the few I’ve read multiple times,” she said.

Movie: “Right now it’s Jojo Rabbit. Not sure it had a wide audience yet, so I won’t ruin it, but it’s quite funny!” Watson said.

Songs: “This one is hard, too! Lately, I find myself vacillating between Steely Dan and Billie Eilish, with a dash of a good old Irish reel sprinkled in the middle to buoy my spirits,” she said.

You May Not Know: “I’m a fairly accomplished home cook. I love to entertain and did a brief stint as a caterer, during which I had the pleasure of working events for the Bush family at Walker's Point Estate, in Kennebunkport, Maine which served as the Summer White House of George H. W. Bush,” Watson concluded. 

Originally posted on Automotive Fleet