Women in Utility Fleet: Elizabeth Daiber

When Elizabeth Daiber began her career as a certified public accountant, fleet management was nowhere on her radar.

“I went to school to be an accountant. I ended up getting my CPA. I worked in public accounting for two years and then moved into internal audit for Ameren Corporate,” said Daiber, who now serves as fleet superintendent for Ameren Illinois.

But in 2014, a job posting within the company caught her attention – one that would ultimately change the trajectory of her career. “There was a job posting for a fleet analyst, and if I had to write a dream job for myself, this was the job,” she said.

Daiber applied, got the job and dove headfirst into the fleet world, managing Ameren Illinois’ telematics rollout at the time.

Today, she oversees a fleet operation comprising approximately 3,800 vehicles and pieces of equipment, 10 garages and a team of around 20 employees.

What initially attracted Daiber to fleet management? What challenges has she encountered along the way? What advice does she have for other women considering a career in this industry?

UFP recently sat down with Daiber to get her perspective on these questions and more.

An Unlikely Path to Fleet
Daiber didn’t set out to manage fleets; she initially envisioned a career in engineering.

However, a year into an engineering-focused undergraduate program at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, she discovered that the computer-heavy curriculum was misaligned with her passion for math. She pivoted to accounting, earning her CPA and spending two years in public accounting before joining Ameren Corporate as an internal auditor.

It was a 2014 job posting for a fleet analyst position at Ameren Illinois that changed everything. The role, centered on managing telematics, promised a deep dive into a specific area of the business – a stark contrast to the fragmented focus of auditing.

“In internal audit and public accounting, I felt like I was working for a hundred different companies,” Daiber said. “This role was really, ‘You’re going to lead this project. You’re going to be the expert in this one aspect of the business.’”

Tackling the Early Challenges
Daiber’s entry into fleet management was anything but smooth. Tasked with managing the telematics rollout across Ameren Illinois’ fleet, she faced a steep learning curve.

“It was intimidating to meet with operations teams,” she said. Terms like “idle” and “PTO” were foreign to her, and the data she initially trusted was flawed. “I’m thinking this information from this telematics system must be spot on, but I was faced with the reality that this needs a lot of work, this needs data validation, this needs rewiring.”

Early idle reports sparked pushback from drivers who questioned their accuracy, revealing widespread wiring issues in PTO-equipped vehicles. “The entire fleet had to be rewired, anything with a PTO. That’s how rocky it was,” Daiber recounted.

Ultimately, the project was a success, and Daiber shared her hard-won lessons with the industry when Ameren Illinois hosted a telematics conference in 2015.

Career Growth
Her telematics work was just the beginning. Over the next decade, Daiber’s role evolved significantly, reflecting her willingness to seize new opportunities. By 2017, she was promoted to supervisor of fleet administration, overseeing back-office functions, budgeting, fueling and telematics.

A pivotal challenge arose when a third-party billing system provider issued a 60-day contract termination notice, threatening to disrupt the payment of $12 million in outstanding invoices.

“It sounded like a huge challenge, and it was, but it ended up being a huge opportunity for us,” Daiber said.

She made a business case to insource the process, building an in-house payments team that grew her department from two to five employees.

In 2021, Daiber took another leap: supervising a fleet garage. “That was not my idea,” she laughed, crediting her manager, Dan Remmert, for the push. The experience was transformative.

“I was able to see the challenges with my own eyes,” she said. “Technicians juggled ordering parts, answering calls and handling breakdowns while linemen and data entry demands piled on. It is multitasking to the next level.”

This visibility fostered empathy, sharpening her leadership growth and effectiveness. Today, as fleet superintendent, she oversees fleet maintenance, acquisitions and back-office operations, striking a balance between strategic oversight and hands-on problem-solving.

Mentorship and a Growth Mindset
Central to Daiber’s success is the mentorship of Dan Remmert, senior manager of fleet services at Ameren Illinois, who has guided her for 11 years. “He’s been fantastic to work for, really providing me with opportunities in all areas of the fleet,” she said.

Remmert’s encouragement to step outside her comfort zone – whether supervising a garage or tackling acquisitions – has been pivotal. Despite her initial hesitation with each new challenge, she said she is driven by a philosophy of saying yes to growth: “I’ve not really said no to any of those opportunities.”

This growth mindset, surprising for a stereotypically risk-averse CPA, stems from Ameren Illinois’ supportive culture, Daiber said. “Everyone is so supportive, so saying yes doesn’t feel as scary.”

Advice for Aspiring Women in Fleet
For women considering or starting a career in fleet management, Daiber’s advice is clear: Embrace the uncomfortable.

“The willingness to step outside of your comfort zone has probably been the most beneficial for me in this journey,” she said.

Saying yes to daunting opportunities, from leading projects to supervising technical teams, has opened doors and built her confidence. “It could be a little bit intimidating, but it’s really served me well,” she added.

Daiber’s journey also highlights the value of transferable skills. Her accounting background, initially unrelated to fleet, became a strength in budgeting, reporting and process optimization. For women with diverse backgrounds, her story is a reminder that fleet management rewards adaptability and a willingness to learn.

The Bottom Line
As she continues to shape Ameren Illinois’ fleet – spec’ing vehicles, streamlining maintenance and mentoring her team – Daiber remains driven by the excitement that first drew her to the industry.

“I come to work every day loving this job,” she said.