What first got you into the auto retail business?
As with many dealers, my father introduced me to the wonderful world of automotive retailing. And, like many dealers, I got my start washing cars when I was 14 years old. From there, I sold new Hyundai vehicles when I was 18 to help pay for college expenses at Georgetown University. Over the past 20 years, I have worked with auto dealerships and auto manufacturers as an attorney, international strategy consultant (at Bain & Company), and various management positions within auto dealerships.

In your tenure as an auto dealer, what is the one accomplishment you are most proud of?
My involvement in the Alexandria community and the Commonwealth of Virginia. Jack Taylor (a local Toyota dealer) has set an excellent example of community involvement in the Alexandria area which spans several decades. His leadership and service in the Alexandria area has inspired me to do likewise. I serve as the President of my local business association (Potomac West Business Association), as a board member of Virginia’s Motor Vehicle Dealer Board (appointed by former Governor Mark Warner), and as a board member of the Washington Area New Automobile Dealers Association (WANADA). Alexandria Hyundai supports a wide variety of charitable organizations in the Alexandria area, support for which we received the Hopkins House Heart of the Community Award in 2005.

Who was the biggest influence in your career? What makes a great auto dealer?
My father has had the biggest influence on my career, and he personifies what makes a great auto dealer. I have gleaned three important principles from my father watching him work as an auto dealer for several decades.

First, be present. There is no substitute for being at the dealership to see and hear firsthand what your employees and customers are experiencing. In doing so, a dealer can provide support on the spot and continually move his business forward.

Second, be truthful. My father would always let people know how he honestly felt – if he agreed, he said so; if he didn’t, he would give you the unvarnished truth, no matter if it was a popular, or unpopular, stance. In doing so, he cultivated a great deal of loyalty and respect among his employees and colleagues.

Third, be part of the solution. This lesson is most apparent to me in his significant involvement in local, state and national politics, numerous charities, as an AIADA Director, WANADA Director, Hyundai National Dealer Council Chariman (twice), and Hyundai Advertising Board President. He gives freely of his time because he feels strongly that “he who serves another, best serves himself.”

When did you first become involved with AIADA and why?
My involvement – unofficially – with AIADA goes back over 20 years when my father was on the board of AIADA and I was at Georgetown University. While attending Georgetown University, I would gather materials from AIADA to prepare papers or speeches on the dangers of protectionism and significant benefits of free trade.

How does legislation impact your business? What federal issues most affect your business and its bottom line?
Given the fact that I’m a Hyundai dealer, the South Korea – U.S. Free Trade Agreement is certainly foremost in my mind at the moment. At the time I’m writing this, it appears that an agreement has been reached and I am hopeful that it will be ratified in a timely manner.

What was your most memorable sale?
One of my first – a 1987 Hyundai Excel I sold to a Secret Service Agent. I was 18 years old and this was my first year selling new cars. I learned that after you present the numbers to a customer, you should be quiet and give the customer the respect of some peace and quiet to sort out his thoughts – i.e., don’t say anything until he requests your assistance. Well, in this case, it took the customer about 15 minutes of silence to sort out his thoughts. I didn’t say a word, I just sat and waited, ready to help if needed. After 15 minutes of dead silence – which seemed like 15 hours – he purchased the car and was very pleased with his experience. Twenty years later, I still keep foremost in my mind that “silence is golden” sometimes.