Experience

Benzel-Busch Motor Car
• United States
• Automotive
• 1 - 100 Employee
• General Manager

  • Aug 2022 - Present


Mercedes-Benz Manhattan

• United States
• Retail Motor Vehicles
• 100 - 200 Employee

• General Manager

  • Aug 2016 - Aug 2022

  • Provide a consistently outstanding brand & customer experience through consistently outstanding preparation, attitude, and teamwork. • Responsible for successful operation of entire organization. Develop and execute plans to optimize profitability and shareholder return on investment. Eight (8) consecutive #1 Finishes (2013-2021) plus Four (4) Best-of-the-Best Dealer Achievements under leadership to date. • Focus on Retail Transformation and instilling Leadership Principles. Oversee 350 associates & organize business areas by developing key managers, setting objectives & establishing priorities, structuring the company competitively, integrating corporate efforts, providing resources and developing strategic partnerships. • Ensure dealership achieves target objectives, including Financial Plans, Performance KPI's,, Sales Volume Grosses including Vehicles and Parts, Customer Experience Mandates and Operating Budget. Accomplish objectives by researching opportunities and issues, initiating programs and processes, meeting financial requirements, and reporting results. • Responsible for maintaining a motivated, competitive workforce by structuring the company to most efficiently meet customer needs, deploying the energy and creativity of management in all functional areas. • Strict adherence to Human Resource & Compliance policies and procedures. • Develop, promote, and preserve the public image of MBUSA, Mercedes-Benz Manhattan (MBM), and the MB brand(s) to the satisfaction of all clients. Serve customers by establishing critical service, operations and productivity criteria, providing state-of the-art technology, bench-marking leading edge practices, leading commitment to quality service and evaluating service results. Maintain company stability and reputation by establishing and communicating a dealership value system, enforcing ethical business practices, complying with laws & regulations, and protecting the Company and the Dealership at all times.

• General Sales Manager

  • Jun 2012 - Aug 2016

  • Responsible for the oversight, supervision and direction of the 70+ associate Variable Sales Division, including but not limited to New & Pre-Owned Vehicles, Finance & Insurance, Inventory Control, Business Development Center, Marketing, Vehicle Preparation & Reconditioning, Delivery Department, Logistics & Valet Support. • Achieved #1 Northeast / #3 National Sales Ranking 2014 -2016 (out of 370 in the network). Awarded coveted Best of the Best Dealer in 2015. Annual sales volume exceeds 5500 vehicles per year, $400MM in revenue and $30MM in gross profit. • Forecast all departmental volume, gross profit, expense and profit planning. Develop comprehensive Operating Plans in support of dealership business objectives and regularly monitor gross profit and expense control goal tracking. Meet with Sales and Finance Managers to establish monthly objectives and review forecasts, analyze commission statements, performance reports and the profitability of each department and each sales consultant. • Supervise the ordering and inventory control of all new vehicles, based on the objectives established in the Operating Plan. Determine the appropriate quantity and mix of both new and certified pre-owned vehicles to be maintained in inventory based on market conditions and product seasonality. Establish standards for displaying, marketing and maintaining new and CPO cars and determine conditions to optimize inventory turnover. • Direct all sales-related marketing plans and execution to maximize market share and sales effectiveness. Conceptualize strategic conventional, digital and outbound call measures to drive showroom traffic and generate incremental sales. Analyze the impact and profitability of all campaigns. Develop internal initiatives to promote increased sales consultant results.

• Sales Manager

  • 2006 - 2012

  • Recruited to develop corporate sales business within the New York metropolitan area for Mercedes-Benz USA’s only-factory owned store. Quickly achieved and maintained #1 fleet status for MBM in country. • Targeted select Fortune 500 companies and identified other relevant firms as potential conquest volume candidates and initiated appropriate marketing campaigns to win executive vehicle accounts. • Created dedicated website, collateral and other integrated marketing materials to engage prospects, clients and presented concepts to senior management / principals of designated companies. • Trained key employees and increased program awareness in house while implementing procedures to ensure compliance with corporate policies while achieving maximum sales results. • Enlisted to launch and manage Sprinter Van business for dealership in 2009. Developed highly successful and profitable Grand Edition offering – ensuring profitable contribution to MBM Sales Division.



Thompson Marketing

• United Kingdom
• Advertising Services
• 1 - 100 Employee

• President & CEO

  • 1992 - 2006

  • Co-founded event marketing agency that served as agency of record to Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) and other corporate clients. Considered by many the ‘Best-in-Class’ corporate golf agency in the industry. Sold company in 2001 to The Omnicom Group, the largest advertising holding firm in the world. • Hired, trained and managed 40-50 person staff assigned to TMI’s accounts. Responsible for all financial matters including profit plan forecasting and monitoring company P&L. Devised comprehensive processes and procedures required to effectively coordinate and implement several hundred events each year. • Developed corporate event strategies and objectives, solicited and created commensurate partnerships, and served as central point in orchestrating event-related communications, and established specific criteria for evaluating and measuring programs and sponsorships. • Designed and oversaw coordination and implementation of nationwide and regional programs that provided relationship-building opportunities to retailers for their best customers and prospects. Managed all event-related details to ensure optimum sponsor presence and results. • Most noteworthy achievement was introducing Mercedes-Benz in 1994 to professional golf as the Title Sponsor of the PGA Tour’s season-opening Mercedes Championships and the development and implementation of the Mercedes Dealer Championships, a nationwide amateur golf program that has prospered for 18 seasons, reached over 300,000 players, resulted in over 10,000 test-drives and raised millions of dollars for prominent national charities.



Mercedes-Benz USA

• United States
• Motor Vehicle Manufacturing
• 700 & Above Employee

• Sales & Events Management

  • 1986 - 1992

  • Relocated to MBUSA’s Southern Region office during corporate decentralization program. Primary responsibilities included development and management of all Southern Region events and promotional programs • Created event marketing strategy to support regional business objectives and negotiated specific market opportunities that clearly defined MBUSA’s promotional and commercial benefits • Designed retail-driven, traffic-building promotions and developed on-site customer hospitality plans. Directed sponsorship coordination, integrated appropriate advertising and public relations support and monitored retailer follow-up. Conducted extensive post-event evaluation and provided recommendations to strengthen future involvement. • Supervised the planning, development and overall implementation of all national event marketing programs including: Automobile Shows, Sports and Cultural Sponsorships, New Model Launches and Special Retailer Functions • Served as principal coordinator between corporate headquarters, zone offices, event organizers, exhibit company, vendors, advertising agency and 400+ member dealer organization in the administration and implementation of all event-related activities nationwide • Managed all facets of operations to ensure Mercedes-Benz acquired dominant sponsor presence. Designed promotional programs in support of these projects that integrated MBUSA database and targeted direct mail lists to qualified customers and prospects in order to achieve maximum, quantifiable sales results