Phil Moody, the 2026 Bunny Ennis Fund winner, shares the journey that took him from a quiet upbringing in the North East to leading Volvo’s growing Customer Care operation. In this interview, he reflects on stepping outside his comfort zone, building a people-first CX culture and how the award will help shape the next stage of his career.
Tell us a little bit about your background and some of the pivotal moments in your development?
I grew up in a small town just outside Sunderland in the North East of England. I was quite shy growing up and always more academically inclined, so when it came to university I chose to stay close to home and study at Newcastle University, completing a degree in Media and Communications. At the time, I wanted to become a journalist.
University became an important period for pushing myself outside my comfort zone. For the first time I was surrounded by people from very different backgrounds, which helped bring me out of my shell. I also spent time studying in China as part of an exchange programme, which was another experience that challenged me and broadened my perspective.
After completing a Master’s at Leeds and travelling across Southeast Asia and Australia, again with the intention of meeting new people and experiencing different cultures, I returned to the UK and started my career managing social media for TUI’s airline operation in Coventry. It was a fast-paced role dealing with everything from everyday travel queries to major incidents, and it was there that I first discovered my passion for customer experience and contact centres.
After a few years in different CX roles, I was approached about an opportunity to help modernise Volvo’s contact centre operation. The automotive industry itself wasn’t what attracted me – it was the chance to build something new and apply what I’d learned to create a more modern, digital CX function. I’ve now been at Volvo for nearly seven years, and I genuinely love it. I can’t imagine working anywhere else.
Having progressed within Volvo, how have you seen your role change over time, and what are your expectations for the future?
The biggest change in my role has been the scale of responsibility. When I joined Volvo Customer Care, I believe I was employee number twelve. It was a very small team responding primarily to landline calls and contact forms. Today, I have around 85 people indirectly reporting into me. That growth has happened in just six years and the pace has been remarkable.
Personally, that has required a shift in how I work. I tend to be quite detail-oriented, and in the early days I knew exactly where everyone was and what they were working on. As the team has grown, I’ve had to learn to trust others more and delegate effectively. I can’t be involved in every detail anymore, so I’ve had to evolve into more of a strategic leader rather than someone working directly in the operational details.
The automotive industry itself has also undergone significant change. From what I understand, the model had remained largely the same for decades. However, in the last five or six years the pace of transformation has been extraordinary. Volvo, in particular, has moved to a direct-to-consumer model. In 2023, the entire business model shifted away from traditional selling and negotiation toward a stronger focus on customer experience.
Pricing is now standardised across retailers so the emphasis is firmly on delivering a high-quality customer journey. Our Managing Director also comes from a consumer goods background, where customer experience is central, so there’s strong alignment with that philosophy.
Historically, the automotive industry has been very strong at selling vehicles, but the after-sales experience has often been less of a priority. At Volvo, we see things differently. For us, the customer journey truly begins after the purchase, and it continues throughout the entire ownership lifecycle. Retaining customers and building long-term relationships is critical. We have customers who are on their fifteenth or sixteenth Volvo because it’s a brand that runs through generations of families. That makes the work of my team more important than ever.
Competition in the market is increasing, particularly with new entrants offering excellent products at competitive prices. While product and pricing remain important, brand reputation and service experience are becoming increasingly decisive factors.
When things go wrong for customers, the consequences can be significant. In the past, companies might have been able to resolve issues quietly, but today everything is visible through social media, online reviews and forums. Customers have a powerful voice, and that means organisations must deliver consistently excellent service.
What was your reaction to winning the Bunny Ennis Fund Award?
My first reaction was genuine shock. I didn’t quite believe it. I had heard about the fund internally and submitted my application, but then I largely forgot about it. I assumed it would be extremely competitive, so I didn’t expect to progress very far.
I was already delighted simply to be named a finalist and receive an invitation to the Torque & Truth conference, that alone felt like a fantastic opportunity. When I saw the other finalists in advance, it reinforced my belief that I probably wouldn’t win, so I approached the event simply as a chance to enjoy the experience.
When my name was announced, I was genuinely surprised. Now that it has had time to sink in, I feel incredibly proud. It feels like validation for the approach we’ve taken. I don’t think I fit the traditional leadership mould within the automotive industry. I’m not a particularly authoritative leader; my approach is very much people-first.
Even when others have suggested that this isn’t how things are typically done in the industry, I’ve stayed committed to running our CX function in a way that prioritises people and culture. Receiving the award felt like recognition that doing things differently can work.
Seeing how emotional Lynda was during the presentation also meant a great deal to me. It made me feel very honoured to carry the legacy of the award forward. Now my focus is on ensuring I justify that trust and demonstrate that the award has been given to the right person.
How do you plan to use the award, and what specific goals do you hope to achieve?
My ambition is to expand the principles of customer experience that we’ve developed into more international markets. Volvo is a global company, but I believe the approach we’ve built in the UK is particularly strong. We are currently the only market operating under the direct-to-consumer model, which makes building personal relationships with customers more important than ever.
Different cultures approach customer experience in very different ways. In some countries, customers simply want a quick answer and to move on. In others, there is more emphasis on conversation and relationship building. These differences exist even across Europe, and they become even more pronounced when comparing Europe with the US or Asia.
My long-term ambition is to take the best aspects of what we do in the UK and adapt them to suit local cultures around the world. At the same time, there is an opportunity to create more standardisation across systems and processes globally. If markets could operate on the same platforms and frameworks, it would deliver significant efficiency benefits while ensuring a consistent Volvo customer experience.
I have also identified a training programme with COPC, one of the leading organisations in CX training, focused on managing outsourced service operations. I consider myself very strong in operational environments, I spend a lot of time directly with the teams and I am comfortable in a contact centre setting. However, I have limited experience managing teams that are not physically co-located with me.
Developing the ability to manage outsourced operations effectively is something I want to build, and this course feels like an ideal first step in that direction.
What are your hopes for the future of your career?
I am passionate about customer experience, and I would love the opportunity to expand that work globally while continuing to learn from different cultures.
At the same time, I recognise that I’m not the typical corporate leader. To operate effectively at a global level, I know I need to develop further as a senior leader. Part of that involves learning from people with more experience and different leadership styles.
My management style is very different from that of a traditional CEO or Managing Director, but those are the levels I ultimately aspire to reach. At the moment, I still feel most comfortable within the operational environment, working closely with agents in a contact centre rather than stepping back and operating at the strategic leadership level.
Developing that broader strategic perspective is an important next step for me. I want to challenge myself to step outside my comfort zone and build the confidence to contribute at boardroom level.
There’s still an inner voice that questions whether I truly belong in those environments. I’m younger than many senior managers, I’m from the North of England, and I didn’t come from the automotive industry. Those factors can sometimes make me feel like an outsider.
Ultimately, though, this is about continuing to learn and grow. I want to develop the confidence to move beyond day-to-day operations and focus more on the strategy that shapes the future of customer experience.
The Bunny Ennis Fund has been created in memory of Bernard ‘Bunny’ Ennis, the late father of Ennis & Co Group’s Founder and CEO, Lynda Ennis. It will provide an annual training bursary for an individual already working in automotive or who hopes to join the industry.
