Executive Manager
Troy Alan Buick
What is the proudest accomplishment of your career thus far?
In 1998 I was hired as a finance & insurance manager; over the last 21 years, I have cross-trained in all departments. My proudest accomplishment was being promoted to executive manager and overseeing a single-point franchise to achieve a multi-year GM Dealer of the Year winner (2018 and 2019).
What is your best advice to other women who want to excel in the automotive industry?
Read absolutely everything for all departments; I learned that reading service bulletins (daily snapshot), enabled me to capture very pertinent information that quickly enhanced my overall technical knowledge, which enhanced my ability to increase my sales in every department (power of legitimacy).
Learn to turn every negative into a positive! Even when you lose the sale; always stay focused and positive, learning from your experience — always be the customer!
What are some of the ways you have seen the industry support women?
I found success in employing more women. I restructured the work schedule to accommodate their personal and childcare requirements. To accomplish this, we meet as a team and schedule their hours accordingly. For example, warranty and BDC personnel can flex-schedule to support their childcare schedules. The automotive industry needs to expand the flexibility for both women and men to provide quality personal relationships, which results in highly productive and motivated employees.
What is one thing the industry could do better/differently to support women?
Over the last 10 years, women have emerged in dealerships in all positions. Women are organized and help bring balance to dealerships wanting to succeed. A successful dealership will employ diversity and cross-train personnel — continual training and development leads to energetic and enthusiastic personnel, resulting in outstanding CSI.