Below is a Q&A with Ashley Dietze, fleet lease manager at San Antonio Auto Auction and a 2017 Women in Remarketing honoree. 

Auto Remarketing: What was your path to the automotive industry, and what do you enjoy most about working in the car business?

Ashley Dietze: My family owns and operates San Antonio Auto Auction and Corpus Christi Auto Auction in central and south Texas. I started working for our family business in the summers in between school as a kid. I did everything from answering phones, stuffing envelopes and even helped wash a car or two. However the auto auction was not the career path I had in mind.

I graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in animal science, and immediately after graduation, I went to work for the auction while I searched for jobs in the livestock industry. Not long after working there, I quickly found my passion for the business and was intrigued by the fast-paced, always-changing environment.

At the start of 2007 I was offered a full-time job starting as the transportation manager. I’ve worked in every position of the auction business, finding my perfect fit in the fleet lease department. In 2010, we uprooted my family and took a leap of faith in opening our second location: San Antonio Auto Auction. Those first few years we had a high level of uncertainty, but we had faith that if we gave our customers the same level of service they’d come to know in Corpus Christi, we could make it work.

And today, by the grace of God and the amazing staff we consider a part of our family, we’ve become a large presence in the central Texas area. Today I serve as the fleet lease manager for our San Antonio location while also serving on the board of directors for the ServNet Auction Group.

AR: How is the remarketing/used-car segment of the business most different from when you first started out?

AD: What’s changed the most is how far technology has come. I can honestly remember years ago, before there was emailing and websites, we were marketing via fax and telemarketing. The whole aspect of how we market ourselves has transformed. In the past 10 years, I’ve witnessed live simulcast bidding come into the market, and each year we are selling more cars via simulcast, making it easier for buyers from across the country to view our inventory and buy vehicles from the comfort of their office.

AR: How would you describe your leadership style and approach to problem-solving?

AD: I like to lead by example and wouldn’t expect anything less of those who I’m supervising. I believe in a hands-on approach to solving problems. Think the problem through, don’t be afraid to ask advice or get a second opinion; but the longer you let something fester, no matter the situation, it never ends up benefitting the solution.

AR: What have been some of the top keys to your success in the car business?

AD: I think it comes down to three things that I can say attribute to my success; my faith in God, a strong and positive support system within my family and coworkers, and the leadership of my father in seeing all of his hard work in building what this company is today. I love the saying that there is no “I” in team. My success in the car business is due to a collaboration of the people who surround me day in and day out at the auction. I wouldn’t be where I am today without their continued hard work.

AR: Who are some folks, whether in the auto industry or not, that you admire professionally, and why?

AD: My father. I’ve witnessed firsthand how hard he has worked to make these two great companies the successes they are today. All the while he has had a deep faith in God that has led him every step of the way and given him a peace, even in the uncertainty of opening a new business in such a large city as San Antonio — his faith that we were supposed to be here never wavered. His leadership style is one that many of our managers strive to be like.

I also admire Patty Stanley, co-owner of Carolina Auto Auction and Indiana Auto Auction, who are also ServNet Auctions. This past year I’ve had the honor to serve with her on the ServNet board of directors and her leadership and guidance of the group is beyond compare. She was inducted into the NAAA Hall of Fame at this past year’s NAAA/NRC Convention, and has been a voice for women in this industry that has had a big impact on me, hoping that I may be able to accomplish as much as she has in her career.

AR: When you are able to get away from the office or work, what do you enjoy? What are your hobbies, interests, etc.?

AD: When I’m not in the office you can find me at whichever sporting event my two sons are playing, which at this time is baseball! When we have a free weekend, my husband and I will spend the day on the lake or head to the coast to bay fish.

Read about all of this year's Women in Remarketing honorees in the April 1 issue of Auto Remarketing.