With over a decade of hands-on experience in leadership development roles, Kevin Dean, Chief Development Officer for Joe Bullard Automotive, began his tenure with the dealership as a consultant. After a successful engagement, the dealership invited Kevin to join the team and further enhance the company’s talent development program and processes.

To gain experience and perspective, Kevin began his full-time tenure at Joe Bullard Automotive as a sales manager, then as a general manager for their Acura store. With a better understanding of the nuts and bolts of the business, Kevin set his sights on creating a talent development program that would stand the test of time.

By using surveys and testing ideas, Kevin created Driven, a program that modernized and optimized talent, hiring, and recruitment. A family-owned business with three generations of history, Joe Bullard Automotive and its leader, Ty Bullard, already knew that evolution was the key to longevity in our industry. Kevin and the team implemented the new system, refining it over time so it suited the company’s culture and aligned with its long-term goals.

Kevin Dean joins The Walk Around’s Nick Funsch and Danny Vendrell for a conversation about investing in existing talent and development as a means towards a better bottom line and a stronger company culture. Among the topics they discuss:

• Beyond improvements in retention and recruitment, can a development program transformation impact dealership results?
• What does a successful program for developing talent look like?
• When using surveys, how can dealers create regularity and accuracy?
• How can the lessons learned in training sessions  become habits at a dealership?
• How can dealerships get middle management more involved in talent development?

In an episode loaded with wisdom, Kevin Dean reminds us that “what got you here won’t get you there.” A willingness to adapt and invest in the tools, tactics, and time needed to evolve will help dealers optimize their existing development processes, improve retention rates, attract top talent, and boost their bottom line.

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