Headline, Portrait of the automotive mechanic industry
NATHALIE LEBEAU: SEE THE CHALLENGE AS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR IMPROVEMENT, NOT AS A BARRIER
(Article published in L’Automobile magazine, August 2023)
By Noëllise Turgeon
General Manager of Haut-Richelieu Volkswagen (Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu), Nathalie Lebeau cumulates 35 years’ experience in the automotive industry. To meet today’s major challenges, she advocates adaptability, active listening and ongoing training.
Over the course of her career, Ms. Lebeau has held a variety of administrative positions that have enabled her to become General Manager of Haut-Richelieu Volkswagen. Her natural competitiveness and interest in corporate management motivated her desire to take on a management position. Ms. Lebeau emphasizes:
“My path in this workplace has helped me to understand the different realities and issues faced by my colleagues, both male and female. When I started out, few women chose a career in the automotive sector. To reassure certain customers, we had to know a lot more about products and services than men did. I never saw being a woman as an obstacle to achieving my goals: it was just one of many motivations.”
The Importance of Always Knowing How to Adapt
The General Manager has taken various training courses with the Groupe Excellence and participating Volkswagen dealerships, as well as consulting a business coach eight times a year. “I remain convinced,” she says, “that to meet the challenges inherent in a position of responsibility, you have to keep training, but above all you have to be able to adapt quickly.”
Ms. Lebeau recalls that when the vAuto tool, created by Dale Pollak to help dealers better manage their inventory, was launched in Quebec, Ms. Lebeau held the position of Performance Manager. At the time, she was particularly moved by one of Mr. Pollack’s words: “The future does not necessarily belong to the strongest and the brightest, but rather to those who have the ability to adapt to change.” Since the pandemic, she has often drawn inspiration from this message. “For example, before COVID, we used to plan budgets for one year, but now we have to review them every three months!”
Today’s Major Challenges
Ms. Lebeau asserts that, for today’s entrepreneurs, the biggest challenges are staff retention and the difficulty of recruiting new employees. “For this reason, I believe in the importance of maintaining good relations with my team and everyone else in the company. When a problem arises, there’s nothing like a face-to-face conversation to find a solution that works for both parties.” Maintaining a team’s motivation and level of performance are, in her view, the main issues to consider. “To attract high-quality candidates, we also need to maintain our reputation in the region and with the automotive industry.”
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