Howard Wilner is an executive who has spent years working in the automotive industry. He currently serves as the President and CEO of Automax Pre-Owned. During his time with the company, he has achieved many important milestones in both sales and efficiency. A great example of his abilities would be the 13-percent increase in sales volume that took place in 2010. Prior to coming to Automax Pre-Owned, Howard Wilner was the President of Marlboro Auto Exchange for seven years. Although the most notable accomplishments of his career pertain to his leadership positions, he also successfully completed his college degree in business administration and general management.
What was your best/favorite subject in school?
I was always good at topics like math and literature. I enjoyed solving puzzles which made it easy for me to go through those courses. Also, formal writing really became my forte once I started reading a lot. Luckily, both of these skills are quite important when it comes to my current job. For instance, the number of reports I have look through on a daily basis is often counted in the hundreds. Having good math and writing or reading skills can come in handy.
Where and how did you first get into the industry you currently work in?
I started by working as a dealer of domestic and foreign vehicles. It was an exciting job that taught me a lot about the market. In fact, this was the time when I realized that I would like to pursue this industry for the rest of my career. The reason why is that I saw an incredible amount of potential for growth. For example, nearly all positions within my sector have a clear-cut promotion track, which helps people see where hard work and persistence will take them.
For me, this served as an unparalleled source of motivation that would keep me accountable. So, for the next few years, I did everything in my power to meet quotas and reach objectives that were set by those above me. Of course, somewhere along the way, I started picking up on things that could be done differently to reach a higher level of efficiency.
How do you keep yourself motivated?
By finding new ways to do my job. Since I have a wide range of responsibilities, I do not really have a typical day. In fact, most of my days vary depending on the agenda and projects that we are involved with. Nevertheless, I do my best to organize interesting meetings, use new locations, and try to learn things that I do not already know. That way, every day is an adventure that I am excited to start. Of course, a lot of it has to do with how you view things. I try to look at everything as an opportunity to learn and grow. Doing so makes my job a lot easier as it feels more like something, I chose to do myself.
Have you ever tried any unorthodox techniques to attract attention to your business?
Yes and no. As far as unorthodox methods to attract attention goes, no. I never really had to do any of that because companies that I worked for were quite prominent and established in the market. So, they already received a ton of attention from repeat and prospective buyers. I did, however, resort to a lot of unorthodox techniques to help my companies perform better.
For instance, getting promoted to a president took a lot of effort in the area of negotiation and long-term planning. I had to handle projects that were going on for years and make them flow smoother. Often, doing something like that is borderline impossible because both sides have a firm stance and do not want to budge. Luckily, I found ways to restructure some of our contracts and modernize our operations to a point where we increased our profitability.
What personal achievement are you most proud of?
I think that I will have to name a few since I do not really have a single achievement that stands out. Obviously, I am very proud that I was given the presidential position when there were so many other competitors who were in the running for the job. Nevertheless, I am also incredibly proud of all of my employees and associates who have done a tremendous job of helping me meet goals.
As far as other personal achievements, I think that graduating college was one of the most life-altering things that I ever did. Getting to do it while also working helps make it a little more impressive for myself. In the end, I am extremely proud of my track record with people who I treat with the utmost respect and will always continue to do so.