Shaking up the fleets

Sharon O'Buachalla's sprawling office in Central Park in Leopardstown, south Dublin, is a far cry from the Portacabin from which she launched her motor-leasing company.

She has defied the odds - and her parents - to become a female success story in the traditionally male-dominated Irish motor industry. O'Buachalla is the managing director of LeasePlan Ireland, the country's largest car leasing and fleet management company.

The firm has a portfolio worth about €100 ...