In less than 15 years, Angelica Jeffreys ascended from working part-time as a greeter at a large multi-franchise auto mall while still a college student to being the manager of sales and operations for what was one of the largest Honda stores in New England.

“I realized very quickly that with a little hustle and a customer-friendly approach, a career in automotive could be very rewarding — and also a lot of fun,” Jeffreys said.

“I knew as soon as I first worked inside a dealership as a greeter that there is so much opportunity within this industry,” she continued. “I absolutely love the people who work in it and the ability to make a difference in people’s lives by helping them directly or indirectly with the second largest purchase they will make.

“I truly enjoy the fast-paced, ever-changing nature of the industry along with all the risks and rewards that come with it,” Jeffreys added.

After spending time turning metal and arranging financing, Jeffreys slid over to the vendor side of the business, holding various executive roles with Autotrader and DealerRater while being responsible for driving growth through strategic alliances. She is continuing to be in that capacity now as vice president with the Equifax automotive team.

“I am most passionate about helping dealers find innovative ways to grow their businesses, especially those who are hardworking honest business people wishing to improve the car buying process for both their customers and their employees, which is the surest path to growth,” said Jeffreys, a 2016 Women in Remarketing honoree. 

“Finding ways to contribute to their successes and being their advocate in order to help them overcome the stereotypes that plague our industry is what is the most satisfying to me,” she continued.

“In my experience, the best approach to problem solving is preventing the problem from happening in the first place,” Jeffreys went on to say. “If you have a keen awareness of your business, you can very often pick up early signs that something may be out of sync and deal with the potential problem by gathering information in a non-threatening way and addressing it swiftly.”

While the automotive world encompasses a major portion of Jeffreys’ life, it’s certainly not all of it.

Jeffreys considers Arianna Huffington to be one of her role models, stemming from how to find a balance between professional and personal successes.

In fact, even though Jeffreys’ commitments to Equifax are extensive, she recently managed to cross an item off of her bucket list.

“I have a wonderfully supportive husband who enables and encourages my newly found, late-in-life passion for performing with a local community musical theater group when my travel schedule has permitted,” said Jeffreys, who added that she had a role in the production of “Les Miserables.”

She also learned tap dancing during a 12-week span so she could handle a specific role in “Mary Poppins.”

Whether performing on stage or working with dealerships, Jeffreys urges professional who are either young or not familiar with the intricacies of the automotive space to approach it like she did — with enthusiasm and optimism.

“This business has many facets. Learn as much as you can about how consumers want to buy and service their cars and follow that path,” Jeffreys said.

“The most rewarding experiences almost always come back to an opportunity or success that I have helped to create for or with others,” she went on to say. “Seeing those whom I have mentored grow professionally, or learning of successes built upon a foundation I had a hand in building, are almost usually the most memorable.”

Check out the April 15 edition of Auto Remarketing to learn more about the entire class of 2016 Women in Remarketing honorees.

These outstanding leaders will be honored at Used Car Week 2016, where we will be launching our National Remarketing Conference partnership with the National Auto Auction Association.

Used Car Week is scheduled for Nov. 14-18 at the Red Rock in Las Vegas.