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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 Laura Wehunt, who is vice president of automotive valuations at Black Book.

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?

Laura Wehunt: I enjoy the people in this industry. This is a fast-paced environment, especially during this rollercoaster ride that has been the pandemic, but it is the people that make every day enjoyable, no matter what is going on around us. 

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?

LW: At our parent company, Hearst, this is an area of focus and is spreading to all of the individual businesses within the organization. The first step being education and raising awareness, and this is being accomplished through ongoing training, communication and a motto to RISE: Reinforcing Inclusion Supporting Equity. One example is through actively seeking out minority- and women-owned business enterprises as suppliers.

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

LW: Early in my career, I had a mentor that taught me to be proud of being a female in this industry. Previously, I had the mentality of wanting to blend in and be “one of the guys,” but I realized through her leadership that diversity in ideas and backgrounds is what brings positive change. Once I embraced who I was and what I could bring to the table, it gave me the confidence to know there are no bounds on what my individual success looks like. It also gave me the drive to want to help other females in this industry gain this same confidence and find their own success.

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

LW: This past year was a big challenge personally. I took on a larger leadership role within my organization, but I also did it while trying to transition the team to working from home. Overnight, we had to figure out a new way to get our jobs done and still be as effective and efficient. Thankfully, I work with an amazing group of individuals, and we overcame this obstacle together. Now, we’ve settled into what is now feeling fairly “normal.” 

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

LW: The top story on my radar right now is the semiconductor shortage. This is causing short-term challenges for new inventory availability, but this shortage will also have long-term implications for the industry as we look into the future at a shortage of available used inventory in the market and the impact it is going to have on pricing.

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

LW: Be confident in yourself. Being different isn’t a bad thing. Use it to accomplish big things and bring about positive change.