CARY, N.C. -

Auto Remarketing is recognizing the 2021 Women in Remarketing honorees in the March issue of the magazine, and will be posting Q&As with each of these outstanding leaders on the website.

Next up is Jamye Carpenter, vice president of business development at Red Mountain Technologies/AutoCheck Auctions.

Auto Remarketing: What do you enjoy most about working in the remarketing industry? But, also, what aspect(s) of the business would you change – and how?

Jamye Carpenter: I know it sounds cliché, but I enjoy the people the most. This is a small industry where your friends become like family, and getting to work with people you like is a special niche that you can’t get just anywhere. 

Personally, it is rewarding to know that by working for a company like AutoCheck Auctions, we are helping fight fraud and helping our customers avoid costly mistakes. 

Vehicle history not only impacts the value of a vehicle, but the safety as well. By running an AutoCheck on vehicles within this space, we are helping the industry ensure that the vehicles running through auction lanes are safe. 

Transparency is important, and it is more important now than ever before as we see the trend of increased online auto purchases continue. COVID brought about a movement that none of us expected, but one that has proven we are a resilient industry, and we are one that can weather the storm. I fully expect to see our industry continue to adapt and to see the online movement grow stronger, and I look forward to being a part of that evolution.

AR: What are some improvements that need to be made in the industry from a diversity and inclusion perspective? What are some examples you've seen of D&I programs that have worked?

JC: Representation matters. When we are recruiting across the spectrum of the industry, people want to be part of a group where they feel they fit in and where they feel they can be a part of something bigger than themselves. Diversity and inclusion have proven to be integral in promoting creativity and a sense of belonging. By creating these connections, it forms a culture of respect allowing everyone to feel valued and connected. 

When you have a diverse team, you have a sense of connection that fosters higher productivity and retention among employees. Programs recognizing women, like the Women in Remarketing award, is one example of industry progress towards creating a culture of inclusivity and openness.

AR: Describe a time when you were either a mentor or a mentee, and how that has shaped your career.

JC: My first mentor was Manheim’s Ruth Hart-Stevens, the first female president of NAAA. She took me under her wing my very first convention and introduced me to others within the industry. She helped make me feel more comfortable each time I was at an industry function.

My biggest mentor and advocate was Dave Angelicchio, also a former NAAA president. He saw something special in me, appointing me to my first committee. He supported me so I could continue to grow and develop while fostering the love I have for the auction and remarketing world. I will be forever grateful to him for pushing me to get my MBA, making sure I had a seat at the table, and encouraging me to get involved in committees so I could be part of the vision and change within our industry. 

I am extremely lucky to have a group of women I meet with quarterly within the remarketing space. It is through their comradery I feel supported in the role of vice president in a male-dominated industry. We brainstorm, share industry trends and talk shop, but most importantly, we support each other as working moms.

I am also blessed to be a mentor to young college women graduating and beginning their careers through the Women and Wisdom Mentoring Program.  Being a mentor is fulfilling and mutually beneficial.  I am re-energized by mentoring and working with young women who constitute the future business leaders who will transform our nation’s economy.

AR: Describe a time in your career where you were challenged and how you overcame that challenge.

JC: Twenty years ago, I had my first child, and 14 months after she was born, I had my second. As a sales manager, I didn’t feel I could take a maternity leave with either of them because I was afraid my productivity and effectiveness would suffer. I traveled to a conference when my youngest daughter was six weeks old to speak in front of a dealer panel because I didn’t want to be viewed as “soft” or “fragile” within a male-dominated industry. I was fearful of being looked upon differently because I was now a mom.  

After I was diagnosed with cancer in 2009, I realized just how important it is to take care of yourself. I realized that balance is key and that you can be successful in your career while being successful at home. As a mom, you are the CEO of your household, and when you travel every week you have to make sure calendars are synced, schedules are made and followed, and everyone is where they need to be, with what they need to have. 

Being a working mom is the hardest job I have ever had, but also the most rewarding. I hope my two daughters will look back on their childhood and remember they had a mom that paved a path for them to be whatever they want to be and that taught them they can be successful being both a mom and an executive. 

AR: What is the top trend/storyline in the remarketing industry that you're watching this year?

JC: The current marketplace has provided us with challenges and opportunities that also lead to more questions as we move into 2021. With 2020 behind us, we continue to watch COVID, the new strain and the vaccine.  How long will it take for us to get back to normal or create our new normal?  What will future conventions look like?  Will they be in-person, online, or some sort of hybrid? 

Dealerships, auctions, OEMs all closed during the COVID crisis, and we saw all of these segments reinvent themselves.  What will that reinvention look like in 2021?  Remarketers will look for creative ways to dispose of vehicles in the most efficient, cost-effective ways possible. 

I predict lines are going to continue to blur when it comes to defining what is retail and wholesale activity.  Market trends in both wholesale and retail segments will be something we should all watch closely.

After the industry was hit hard by COVID, the bounce-back has been a surprise to most.  How will online and face-to-face merge to keep the positive momentum going?

AR: What is something you would tell your younger self if you could go back to when you started your career in remarketing?

JC: Get your MBA when you are young. Don’t be afraid to be authentic and uniquely you.  You don’t have to sacrifice being female or a woman to have your career.   I would tell myself to take the maternity leave, take time off to go through treatments, and stand up for yourself and others when you can. 

You don’t have to make yourself bigger to be seen, but you don’t have to make yourself smaller either.  What you have to say is important. 

Be who you were created to be; in my case, a cancer-surviving, working mom and automotive executive.