"Flying's his passion. He does aerobatics to relax"

Joanne Jablonski talks about her career as secretary for Len Clayton, CEO of Interleasing UK Ltd

I've been in the car-buying and leasing industry for quite a few years, starting off in a Ford car dealership owned by two brothers. It was quite blokey and the guys did wear sheepskin coats in the winter but it was a reputable business, not at all Arthur Daley, and I enjoyed it.

I've been in the car-buying and leasing industry for quite a few years, starting off in a Ford car dealership owned by two brothers. It was quite blokey and the guys did wear sheepskin coats in the winter but it was a reputable business, not at all Arthur Daley, and I enjoyed it.

Not many secretaries get a company car but I did. Fifteen years ago one of my colleagues asked me to move with him to Interleasing, so I made sure I wasn't losing my favourite perk.

At the time, Interleasing shared the same owner as the dealership and bought their cars from the brothers. Now we belong to GMAC, the finance arm of General Motors, but we've kept many of our long-standing customers. I hadn't realised what an emotional issue a car can be, more so in Britain. The make of a company car is determined by the level of the employee, starting with a Corsa for the lower rungs and ending, sometimes, with a Rolls-Royce for the boss.

Employees tend to rely on their car to make them feel good, particularly sales people, who can be show-offs, concerned that their vehicle reflect their salary and status. Len drives a BMW 540, although he isn't allowed a chauffeur. I've occasionally driven his car and I love its speed. Despite environmental concerns, it will be a hard job to try to get people out of their cars. I wouldn't part with mine without a fight.

I love having the scope to do things on my own, such as organising corporate events or "thank you" trips for VIP clients. It's important to treat loyal customers well. If they don't like golf I will send them off on a track-test day where I will see the Jeremy Clarkson in them emerge. But the real characters are rare and I miss the sales director who thought nothing of sleeping on a station platform after a couple of drinks at one of our functions.

Len arrived in September 1997 and the first thing he asked me to do was to type his long documents on corporate strategy. He came from the Royal Air Force and seemed a bit stiff-upper-lipped and reserved. Yet we are friends without being in each other's pockets.

He has an open-door policy and I try to allow our staff to see him because I don't want to be seen as an old witch. Despite having 500 staff and 2,000 clients with 70,000 cars, we still retain a friendly, intimate atmosphere. Len can get impatient and snappy under pressure but it doesn't bother me. I leave him to his own devices and I never take things personally, for he's never unpleasant. Flying is his passion. He owns two planes and does aerobatics to relax. He is a daredevil and has no fear. But I have declined his offer to take me for a spin.

Now Len has moved from being managing director to chief executive, becoming more involved in European business, I work for the new MD as well. We've been busy because of our acquisition of Carland, which is Britain's most successful used-car retail superstore. It can get difficult when both bosses are shouting for me from either side of my desk, but I tend to ignore them until I'm free.

There are many phone calls, including uninvited ones from people trying to sell things. They ask for Len by his first name and when I insist on more details they often hang up. I've compiled a blacklist and I have a good memory for voices so I give them a piece of my mind, although in a nice way, if they call back.

I don't know how anyone can believe they can achieve anything by being rude to the boss's PA.