ABM Q4 - Flipbook - Page 47
OPINION
RE TA I L
Stronger networks
for future leaders
→ Stacey Ward is senior director of data products and operations at Solera cap hpi
T
he automotive retail sector
is going through major
change. AI, new tech, EVs and
changing retail models are
affecting how dealerships
work. At the same time,
people expect more from their
careers, including greater
flexibility and a clearer route
to progress. The industry must think
differently about talent. Recruiting good
people is important, but keeping them
matters just as much. If people cannot
see where their career is going, they will
take their skills elsewhere.
Careers are often shaped by the
people we meet along the way. A useful
conversation with someone who has
faced the same challenge, advice from
a leader or an introduction to the right
person can have a lasting effect.
Good networks allow people to share
experiences, ask questions and build
relationships outside their immediate
workplace. They can also make an
industry feel smaller and easier to
navigate, particularly for someone
who does not see many people like
themselves in senior positions.
Women in automotive
Women already make a major
contribution across dealerships, from
sales, service and finance to marketing,
technology, customer experience and
senior management. Yet they are still
less visible in many leadership and
commercial roles.
Sometimes, people simply lack access
to the contacts and support that others
have built over many years. Finding a
mentor, meeting senior people or even
knowing the next career move can be
harder without a strong network.
People are more likely to stay in an
industry when they can see opportunities
ahead and know people who can help
them understand how to reach them.
When that route is difficult to see, moving
to another employer or another sector
becomes much easier to consider.
This thinking sits behind both
Empowering Auto and Solera's Women
in Dealerships (WIND) programme.
Women are already making an impact,
so the industry should help make that
contribution more visible and create
stronger routes to progress.
WIND aims to bring women together
with peers and leaders, creating
opportunities for useful conversations,
mentoring and continued contact. It
is an ongoing community rather than
ending when an event finishes.
Confident leadership
Leadership can mean running a
dealership or managing a large team,
but it can also mean having the
confidence and knowledge to influence
decisions and improve the way a
business works. Giving more people the
chance to develop that influence can only
strengthen dealerships.
These networks give people access
to contacts and experience that might
otherwise take years to develop. They
also allow businesses to spot talented
people who may not always be the
loudest voices in the room.
Automotive is competing for talent with
technology, finance, retail and many other
sectors. People with skills in data, AI,
digital marketing, customer experience
and finance have plenty of choices about
where they work.
Few sectors offer the same mix of
technology, finance, retail, data and
customer service, often within the same
business. But automotive needs to do
a better job of showing people where
those careers can lead and giving them
reasons to stay.
Sometimes the most useful career
advice comes from someone who has
already made the journey. A strong
network makes those conversations
easier to find.
47
Q4 2026
BUSINESS
Q4 AUTOMOTIVE
2026 AUTOMOTIVE
BUSINESS 4769
