Pub. 8 2019-2020 Issue 3

6 San Diego Dealer How did you become a car dealer? Did you always aspire to be part of the auto- motive industry? I grew up with the car business all around me. My father and his father were Dodge dealers so it was talked about over dinner throughout my childhood. As a kid, I would roller skate around the lot when my Dad took me to work and I picked parts as a summer job. I also loved making music and dreamed of being a rockstar, but finally realized that a career in music wasn’t for me. I got a job selling cars in Seattle for a couple of years before return- ing home to learn the family business. Do you have family members in the auto industry? My grandfather, Jack Powell, Sr. began his career as a car dealer in 1933 in Dearborn Michigan. He relocated the family to Escondido in 1958 where he opened Jack Powell DeSoto Plymouth. My father, Jack Powell, Jr. purchased the dealership in 1972. He helped form the Escondido Auto Park where he consolidated the Chysler and Dodge dealerships in 1987. My sister and I entered the family business around 2003 and spent several years learning aspects of each department from tenured managers. My father took time often to teach us his methods and include us in important meetings until he retired in 2011. His guidance shaped the car dealer I am today and I am proud to continue his legacy. Describe your education back- ground. What did you study? I grew up here in San Diego and graduated from Torrey Pines High School in 1996. Afterward, I attended USC in Los Angeles where I studied upright bass performance and themusic business. I spent my last semester studying Spanish in Madrid and graduated from USC in 2000. A few years later, I completed the Chrysler Dealers’ Sons and Daughters program. Are there any specific individu - als that had a major impact on your career? Family aside, Butch Hollister was the most influ- ential person on my career as a car dealer. Butch was themoderator for my NADA 20 Group for over a decade and took his role as an educator very seriously. He led a successful career as a Chrysler dealer in Boulder, CO and was passionate about sharing the disciplines he employed across the dealership. Butch was an important mentor to me and I miss him very much. What is the most rewarding part of your career? There aremany rewards to being a car dealer! The day-to-day excitement of new challenges can be an adventure and I love the freedom of entrepre- neurship. The most enduring rewards, however, are the relationships I’ve built over the years with the people that help make the dealership thrive. I am very grateful for the fruitful partnerships I’ve developedwith employees, vendors, partners and other dealers. What do you think will be some of the dominant trends within the auto industry in the next 5-10 years? Themost important trendwill undoubtedly be the accelerating convergence of technologies. Major innovations in robotics, connectivity, sensors and AI are emerging rapidly, but their integration will compound to create new ways of life faster than we expect. Already, automakers are restructur- ing, making tremendous investments in R&D, experimenting with new business models and forming partnerships in preparation for a world facing climate change and changing consumer behavior. As investors bet big on disruptors, I believe we will see increasing consolidation and collaboration between incumbents. What is the biggest importance of being an NCDA member, what makes it beneficial? NCDA unites its dealers through the production of the San Diego International Auto Show and by facilitating participation in our state and national associations. As our political and regulatory INTERVIEW WITH INCOMING CHAIRMAN: JASEN POWELL Continued on page 8