To continue the momentum started by our Women in Remarketing and Women in Auto Finance franchises, Auto Remarketing has launched Women in Retail, an awards program that specifically recognizes leaders on the retail side of the auto industry.

This inaugural class of honorees is spotlighted in the July 1 issue of Auto Remarketing, which includes Q&As with each recipient of the award.

Next up is Kerri Wise, who is vice president of industry education and relations at TrueCar. 

Auto Remarketing: What was your career path to the retail auto industry? Did you always see yourself in this line of work?

Kerri Wise: I had no intention of working in the auto business and really fell into it. In 1998, I was hired right out of college by J.D. Power and Associates to manage marketing research studies in their Automotive division.

J.D. Power was my first experience working in auto, initially consulting and selling to auto manufacturer (OEMs) clients, and then eventually working with auto dealers in the Auto Retail Consulting division. While I never was a car enthusiast, I fell in love with dissecting the auto retail consumer and process, using mystery shops, lost sales research and in-store observations and interviews to help general managers truly understand what was happening in their dealerships.

After 12 years at J.D. Power, I left to join Edmunds.com, helping them to launch their dealer business in 2011. While at Edmunds, I became more immersed in auto retail, leading dealer analytics and insights, sales training (of the Edmunds dealer sales team) and eventually a dealer training team that trained dealers on the Edmunds consumer path and the best practices to engage with them. I also began representing Edmunds at dealer conferences and events.

After four years at Edmunds.com, I got a phone call from TrueCar. They were interested in hiring me from a dealer marketing and relations capacity, helping them improve their relationship with the auto industry. In addition to marketing and relations, I eventually led the Industry Education team, including overseeing TrueCar University, an online training platform for dealers and representing the company in the industry, speaking at 12-15 dealer events annually.

AR: Who is a leader, outside of the auto industry, that you admire and why?

KW: A woman who inspires me is Oprah Winfrey, because her success came from being authentically herself. She was the ultimate evidence for me as an African-American woman, that it was possible to achieve success while staying true to my differences and who I really am. While its intimidating at times to be the “only one,” I truly believe that my differences are my advantage.

AR: What accomplishment or moment in your career are you most proud of?

KW: Joining TrueCar was my greatest career risk, but has also been the most rewarding. When TrueCar first begin recruiting me back in 2015, they struggled from a dealer relationship standpoint. In fact, I had several industry and dealer friends that tried to talk me out of joining the company.

However, I knew that you can’t improve a company by simply complaining about it from the outside. So, I accepted the position, initially leading their industry relations and marketing and expanding to industry education.

In my first year of joining, under new leadership, we made significant changes to the organization to make it more dealer friendly and communicated those changes to the industry through the “Dealer Pledge.”

This resulted in 3,000 dealers signing up with TrueCar in one year and ultimately became my proudest achievement in my career.

AR: What do you enjoy most about working in the auto industry?

KW: I love how important this industry is to consumers and the larger economy. Buying a car is one of the largest purchases a consumer makes, and I love helping auto dealers understand the pain points and perceptions of today’s consumer and the best practices of reaching and selling to them. I have a passion for dealers, particularly their competitiveness, determination and entrepreneurial spirits, and I love to see them win in creative and innovative ways.

AR: What aspects of the retail car business would you change?

KW: If I could change anything in auto retail, I would make it a more inclusive business. In a world where half of car buyers are women (and even more of the influence), it’s baffling how lopsided the average dealer is in terms of the percentage of woman in sales.

In my mind, it’s not just a matter of equality; it’s a business decision, and I believe that as a dealer you have a competitive advantage when the demographics of your sales staff more closely match the demographics of your consumers.

AR: What advice would you have for someone just starting out in retail automotive?

KW: My advice to those just starting out is to remind them that while you’ll have a lot against you, there is also so much opportunity in front of you. This industry has enabled people to have incredible financial security and fulfillment. Stay focused, remain a S.O.B. (student of the business), and be willing to do the things that others aren’t willing to do. Lastly, when people discourage you, don’t let that stop you. Seek out the right mentors and environment (inside and outside of auto) that will enable you to flourish and grow.