Kennards Hire CMO Manelle Merhi lands debut spot in CMO50 2022

Kennards Hire is proud to announce the company’s very own marketing chief, Manelle Merhi, was named as one of Australia’s 50 most innovative CMOs in 2022. 

Manelle has been a member of the Kennards Hire team for nearly a decade. During this period, she’s held the roles of Head of Marketing, Head of Customer Service and most currently, General Manager, Marketing & Customer Experience. 

Her debut placement at 18th place in the CMO50 2022 is, in part, recognition for leading the brave call to pursue the ‘Ken Oath’ service pledge, Kennard Hire’s unique customer service pledge.

Given that exceptional customer service has consistently been the reason customers come back to Kennards Hire time and again, Manelle wanted to find a simple way to both communicate and demonstrate Kennards Hire’s obsession with making their job easy. The solution? The ‘Ken Oath’ brand platform.

By taking the Ken Oath, new team members vow to uphold the Kennards Hire values of: being Fair Dinkum and making Every Customer a Raving Fan, setting the business apart from its competitors and representing its internal commitment to delivering exceptional customer experiences.

Alongside General Manager, People & Culture, Sally Craig, Manelle was also behind the company’s ‘Why Program’ refresh. Having led the initial Why Program, which was developed to build engagement with the company’s values, the refreshed program supports local team leaders with attraction, retention,  and training of Kennards Hire’s 1600-plus team members across Australia and New Zealand.

“Cross-functional collaboration is where the magic happens. When different departments across the business work together, such as marketing and people & culture, we create programs that engage and inspire,” says Manelle.

The Why Program’s toolkit is made up of real stories of the company’s values in action from staff across its operational footprint.

As a people-first leader, Manelle’s management style is focused on finding new ways to connect with her team and increase performance, while accommodating for health, safety and flexible working arrangements. Since accepting her current role in 2020, Manelle has introduced of a number of new programs and policies including a back-to-work coach for staff returning from parental leave; nominating staff for industry programs and awards, such as the Women in Hire mentorship program; introducing ‘No meeting Friday’s; and rewarding staff with gift vouchers and lunches.

“During her tenure, Manelle has had a strong focus on cross-functional collaboration resulting in innovative cultural and operational changes. She ensures to always represent the voice of the customer when considering business decisions, helping to support our customer-led ethos,” says Kennards Hire Chief Executive Officer Bill Whitehouse. “We couldn’t be more pleased to see Manelle’s passion recognised in this year’s CMO50 awards.”

To find out more about Manelle’s marketing career, and check out the other incredible Top 50 CMO nominees, visit: https://www.cmo.com.au/cmo50/