With nearly 30 years of experience in the automotive experience I have been privileged and lucky enough to work with many great people and on some fantastic projects and brands. I started with a chance job grooming (valeting) cars for a couple of weeks when I was in between jobs (I was 23 at the time). I reluctantly became a car sales exec at the same company...and realised I loved it. While selling cars by day I was doing my post grad at night in marketing (my true passion). Working for a big dealer group was fascinating and frustrating. I moved to another bigger dealer group and had my first taste of consulting - as a facilitator for a change programme the group was running - while selling cars of course. This lead to promotion and my last true retail role, as a brand manager for SEAT in Bolton, UK for the same group. I was encouraged to apply for a role at SEAT UK, but didn't get it - but got a role at Skoda UK instead, in a strategic consulting role. That really was the starting point for me when everything came together. Cars, retail, consulting, and marketing and of course an underdog brand. What a great combo! It was confirmation I had found my calling.