16 Mar Women in Leadership: Interview with Allison Lanzilotta

As part of our Women in Leadership series, we want to highlight the professional challenges and career aspirations of the women in leadership roles at Fleet Response. We interviewed Executive Vice President, Allison Lanzilotta. Below, she shares how she balances being a mother and a professional, what helped her get to where she is now, and what has her most excited about the future.

Q: Tell us a little bit about your professional journey. 

Lanzilotta: After graduating college in 1999, I interviewed with Ron Mawaka Sr., who hired me to work in the growing subrogation department (what was then called Integrated Vehicle Systems) at Fleet Response.  I soon was promoted to the Sales team, then Client Services/Operations and have been Executive Vice President at Fleet Response since 2012.

Q: Who is your favorite female role model and why?

Lanzilotta: Professionally, I admire Gail Boudreaux, CEO of Anthem and Mary Kay Ash, founder of Mary Kay.  Boudreaux has been successful by focusing on strategic growth, corporate culture and operational effectiveness.  Ash built a company driven by her values and the empowerment of women. These are areas I strive to develop in my own life. Personally, I  have many strong women role models in my family who have helped shape my values and helped me believe that anything is possible.

Q: How have you balanced being a mother and a professional?

Lanzilotta: I have been blessed with a wonderful husband who is truly my partner, which has made all the difference.  I also have learned when to put down work and focus on my family. Fleet Response has been a great company to work for as they provide flexibility and support to working mothers. There is no perfect process for this balance, but a good attitude goes a long way.

Q: What do you think helped you get so far in your career?

Lanzilotta: My determination to work through things even when they are hard as well as my commitment to reaching a goal have helped open opportunities for me in my career. Once I was at a level where I had a team, it was so critical to find people with those same characteristics.  I certainly have found those skills in my current team and they are a big part in allowing me to continue to grow. Throughout my career, Fleet Response has supported me as I pursued my Master’s degree and they continue to encourage employee development at all levels.

Q: What’s unique about the service that Fleet Response provides?

Lanzilotta: The quality of our deliverable to our clients in both customer service and data sets us apart. We also continue to expand our service offerings to meet the needs of our clients.  At Fleet Response, we genuinely care about each other and that transcends to our clients.

Q: What advice would you give to women who want to be in leadership roles?

Lanzilotta: Surround yourself with strong leaders whenever you can, so you can learn from them.  Continually be looking for ways to improve yourself personally or professionally.  Sometimes this means stepping out of your comfort zone or trying a new way of doing something.  This is how you will grow and learn. Always work with integrity, when people around you learn they can trust you more responsibility will be given to you. Seize those opportunities!

Q: What has you most excited about the future?

Lanzilotta: Fleet Response is poised for significant growth.  Not only are we building a brand new corporate headquarters, we are also seeing our existing client base return to normal pre-pandemic levels while continuing to add new accounts.  We are exploring additional business opportunities with expansion of services and acquisitions. We are continuing to rewrite our internal systems and invest in the latest technology.  It truly is a great time to be a part of Fleet Response!