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ayne Bruce’s journey into the automotive industry began not with a vroom but with a secret snapshot. “I was very lucky one day when I saw a prototype Rover in a Dunkin’ Donuts car park,” he recalls of a trip to the US to visit his parents. “I hid behind my mother’s car and took a picture of this prototype and sent it into a car magazine in the UK. They gave me £20 for it.”
This serendipitous encounter marked the start of an illustrious career that would see Bruce not just work with cars, but also reshape how car companies engage with diversity and inclusivity — beginning with a job offer from the very magazine he’d sent the picture to.
Bruce’s love for all things four-wheeled, however, is more aesthetic than mechanical. “I’m no good with a spanner,” he jokes, admitting that while he lacks prowess in car mechanics, he has “an intimate knowledge of hubcaps”. Instead, his passion lies in the imagery and marketing behind cars, a fascination that led him from a failed maths degree to a career in car journalism and ultimately to the heart of luxury automotive PR. After a relatively short stint as a journalist, Bruce took a PR position at Volkswagen before moving to Nissan, intrigued by the challenge of helping transform the brand. Bruce then helped launch the luxury brand Infiniti in Europe, an exciting phase that included a move to Geneva. “If in your career you have the option to go and work abroad, just do it,” he advises, reflecting on the personal and professional growth that comes with such opportunities.