Auto Remarketing is recognizing the 2022 Women in Remarketing honorees in the May issue of the magazine, and will be posting Q&As with each of these outstanding leaders on the website.

Next up is Lindsey Creech, who is the senior vice president of marketing and communications at ACERTUS.

Auto Remarketing: What is the top trend you’re watching in remarketing/ wholesale automotive this year?

Lindsey Creech: The future of automotive remarketing is being impacted by a wave of disruptions, innovations, and emerging trends. Automotive retail has experienced more change over the past three years than the prior 30, and the pace of this change accelerated throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, as dealers have had to adapt to shifts in buying behaviors, inventory shortages, heightened demand, a tough economy, and rising customer expectations around speed and convenience. While there are many unknowns as to what the next few years will hold, what’s certain is that the home delivery and pick up trend is here to stay. More buying, selling, trade-ins, and test drives will occur on driveways and logistics will be a key diff erentiator for businesses thriving and surviving this new era of car buying. Logistics has proven to be a successful strategy and a competitive advantage for major brands in the retail space and this will only continue to permeate into automotive retail.

AR: How has technology/innovation impacted your specific area of remarketing/wholesale the most?

Creech: Technology is at the forefront of everything we do. ACERTUS is not just embracing technology, we’ve maintained a steady focus on product development and innovation to deliver best-in-class technology solutions to support the needs of auto industry stakeholders. Long before the circumstances facing the industry today, we made the appropriate investments to be a technology-driven automotive logistics provider.

That determination has proven to be successful, especially in the current reality, as customers continue to navigate obstacles like inventory shortages, capacity constraints, high consumer demand, and rising fuel and inventory prices. With data-driven learning and execution, ACERTUS is using technology, data and analytics to serve customers better and improve their business performance.

In the context of remarketing, our platform removes friction, improves velocity, simplifies, and streamlines logistics which can be complicated, time consuming and involve several partners. By instantly connecting shippers to our expansive network of carriers, drivers, storage and fi eld locations and comprehensive title and registration processing capabilities throughout North America we are paving a more effi cient way to get the job done, increasing speed and visibility, expanding the markets in which they can sell and helping execute a home-delivery strategy.

AR: What piece of career advice would you have for someone new to the industry?

Creech: When I received the opportunity to join ACERTUS in 2019, I was new to the automotive and logistics space. I had spent more than a decade in communications and marketing but was primarily focused on the retail-entertainment sector. I worked hard to educate and immerse myself in the industry so I could make a profound impact and help drive our company forward. And, in the process, I developed a passion and affi nity for the automotive industry. The automotive industry is small and there are many legacy players, so my advice to newcomers wanting to make an impact and breakthrough this space is to be a sponge. Be intellectually curious about the industry; be tirelessly driven to seek out and absorb all of the information available to you; attend the conferences, trade shows and webinars; make connections; learn from mentors, advisors and peers.

AR: What is your proudest moment/accomplishment, career-wise?

Creech: I am immensely proud of the work I’ve done to expand ACERTUS’ brand presence, elevate communications and drive our mission forward. I look back on each milestone and achievement fondly, but also look ahead with an insatiable appetite to continue to raise the bar each and every day. As the organization grew and our marketing gained momentum, I was able to build and grow an amazing team of extremely talented and passionate individuals who have come along on this exciting journey to support me in these eff orts. I am incredibly proud of the work we’ve accomplished together as a team and the genuine sense of camaraderie we share. I am also extremely proud to have the privilege and opportunity to be a woman in a leadership position.

My hard work and dedication created not only a place for myself as a woman leader in a relatively male-dominated industry, but I am actively working to empower, inspire and be a role model to other women in their careers, too. Being named to Auto Remarketing’s Women in Remarketing is a true badge of honor and recognition. I’m humbled to be nominated and selected alongside other amazing and talented female leaders in our industry.