S02E01 - Pivoting in a Pandemic: How Avis Budget Group Manages to Maximize Every Opportunity

What could an uber-successful head of fleet services for a car rental group teach you and your dealership about thriving in an upside-down automotive environment? Turns out, a lot!Douglas Campbell, Head of Fleet Services for the Americas with Avis Budget Group shares insights he’s learned through the course of a winding automotive career that led him from the “box to the boardroom.” These tools could change your career trajectory forever.In this episode, Douglas, Elliot and Marc share insights and answer questions like:How has Avis achieved profitability up 100% year-over-year in such a challenging environment, when most companies are trying to stay alive?How did relationships with OEMs make a difference in being able to “pivot” in these challenging times?What’s your acquisition strategy in such an upside-down used vehicle market?What advice would you give an aspiring retail associate on how to make the leap from retail sales to the boardroom or the executive table?If you had to do your career over again, what would you have done differently?Douglas shares his personal story and choices he wishes he’d made during his retail automotive career -- advice that can help get you where you want to go, faster. Tune in to put your career on the fast track with battle-worn advice like, “If I could do it all over again, I’d go through F&I and take it as far as I could, then the doors are wide open,” Douglas said. “I’d also spend time in used cars because they make everything float. Stay involved on the used side of things.”  For more about Douglas, visit his LinkedIn profile.Watch the full episode here or on your favorite podcast streaming site.Liked this episode? Find our full episode library here.