Marilou’s word
Often, I think about the baggage that my parents left me. I find in myself the entrepreneurial and organized side of my mother, then the tenacity and resourcefulness of my father. I’m trying to take this heritage and take it further, while making my own way. As a woman, I encounter several challenges, such as having to constantly prove my credibility, even if I work in fields where many women are in positions.
What about women who experience these kinds of challenges, but in environments where the majority are men? And what about women who take over their father’s business? Do they have to work even harder to prove their credibility?
Three women driving car dealerships. They had to surpass themselves to take their place. We brought them together to discuss their journey.
A meeting between three women car dealership owners. In this largely male environment, they are as rare as Ferraris in Fermont.
Impossible to bring the three women together in the same place: they are scattered across the region. This is probably not a coincidence, moreover: the consolidation of concessions is rarer there.
It was therefore by videoconference that they met on October 12.
Our guests
PHOTO ROBERT SKINNER, THE PRESS
Nathalie Aumont, president and owner of Joliette Toyota
PHOTO MARC-ANDRÉ COUTURE, PROVIDED BY ARNOLD CHEVROLET BUICK GMC CADILLAC
Valérie Tremblay, President and CEO of Arnold Chevrolet Buick GMC Cadillac, in Saguenay
PHOTO PROVIDED BY HYUNDAI RUBY AUTO
Ruby Routhier, owner and general manager of Hyundai Ruby Auto, in Thetford Mines
Between them, they have more than 100 years of experience in the automotive industry. And the three grew up there: their father had founded the dealership of which each took the wheel.
Nathalie Aumont and Valérie Tremblay already knew each other. They are both mentors in the Women in Automotive Accelerator program, a Scotiabank initiative which has this goal: “to create links between young women starting in the industry and us, who have experience as women », explains Valérie Tremblay. “Because there aren’t many, we’ll tell each other. When I started, I didn’t have this privilege to share, to confide in myself, to ask someone questions. »
They never met Ruby Routhier. “We know his daughter!” », however joyfully says Nathalie Aumont.
Cassy Cloutier, sales director at Hyundai Ruby Auto, was admitted to the Accelerator program in January 2023.
Bath dives
The three women were initiated into the profession in the manner of Obelix: they fell into the pot of magical passion at a very young age.
Ruby Routhier’s father began working at age 16 as a sales consultant, opened a used car business at age 21, then obtained a Datsun dealership in 1969.
“From a young age, I wanted to work for him, I told him I wanted to be his secretary. »
“We have a journey that is so similar, Mme Routhier and me! notes Nathalie Aumont. My father opened the Joliette Toyota dealership in 1977.”
She is an only child. “My mother did accounting, so the garage was my second home. I was raised here. »
Just like at home, she cleaned on Friday afternoons after school.
“I told my father I would like that, to take over. »
Intense paternal surprise.
“Because I was a girl, he didn’t really see me there. »
Valérie Tremblay takes over: “I too spent the summer holidays going to classify and answering the phone,” she says.
Without being chaotic, the first kilometers were bumpy.
“It wasn’t easy,” Ruby begins. When I told my father I was pregnant, he told me: “You sort it out, you find a replacement, you train him.” It was a mentality. My father is 87 years old. I was not the girl who was protected by her father.
“That’s good,” says Valérie Tremblay. It was the same thing for me. »
Ruby initially focused on accounting, but her responsibilities quickly expanded.
“From 1989, my father was already sending me to Hyundai meetings,” she describes.
“He put me at the front early. Looking back, I find that sometimes I lacked tools,” she confides to Nathalie’s understanding nod.
There was little training with Hyundai. I took my place, but I found it hard. In Hyundai meetings, I was the only woman, I didn’t speak. But I listened a lot, though.
Ruby Routhier, owner and general manager of Hyundai Ruby Auto, in Thetford Mines
All three of them faced a double challenge: being a woman and being the daughter of the owner. “It’s leaving with two takes when you leave,” recognizes Nathalie Aumont.
“When you enter as “the daughter of”, you don’t necessarily leave with points,” Valérie euphemizes, while her two colleagues nod in agreement.
She began her career at Arnold GM as a technical advisor.
I was in the service and there were gentlemen who didn’t take me seriously. There were some who absolutely didn’t want to talk to me. They said to me: “Aren’t you a secretary here?” It’s crazy ! And today, we would all like to have women in the service!
Valérie Tremblay, President and CEO of Arnold Chevrolet Buick GMC Cadillac, in Saguenay
Valérie Tremblay then became director of customer service, then director of service.
As experience came, “I found that I could afford to give my opinion. » “Sometimes, some people didn’t like it,” she emphasizes to the understanding chuckles of the other two. But I didn’t give up just yet. »
Nathalie Aumont takes over.
“I got into sales,” she says.
“When I started I was 23, I’m sure you would have given me 40. I dressed in a suit and a blouse with the buckle. I had to look 10 years older than I was.
I had to know it, my product, inside out. When I said something, it had to be credible because customers would ask me questions to try to put me in a box.
Nathalie Aumont, president and owner of Joliette Toyota
She soon replaced her father as dealer representative at the Toyota Advertising Association.
“At the time, when we went to our meetings, all the Toyota dealers had red corporate jackets. But there were no women’s sizes. I got there and I was like the black duck among the others. I said, “No, that’s not working.” I went and bought myself a red suit, so as not to look like a mismatch. »
These excellent groups Excellence
“It’s true, what Mr.me Routhier says, confirms Nathalie Aumont. We didn’t have any training at the time. We learned on the job. What trained me was the Excellence groups. »
The Excellence groups are groups of 12 dealers from different manufacturers who meet three times a year with a moderator to review their results and methods.
“It’s a lot of mutual help and exchange,” describes the businesswoman. Correct me if I’m wrong, girls, but I’d say a good 75% of dealers participate in this type of activity. »
The girls didn’t correct her.
“The best thing that has happened to me is being part of an Excellence group,” agrees Valérie Tremblay.
The formula was for participants to be seated according to their results, from the weakest, on the right, to the strongest, on the left.
“When I arrived, I was on the right. But it motivated me. When I got out of my way and we saw that I was starting to move up the ranks, I said to the two best, who became friends: “My goal in life is to go alongside you.” And that’s what happened. But we help each other, too. For me, it’s my greatest career accomplishment, I think. »
Changes and caps
“We have to be realistic: the majority of women who find themselves in cars today are successors,” says Nathalie Aumont.
Which constitutes another great issue, which she experiences personally.
One of her two sons, the one in whose veins flows motor oil (that’s his expression), joined her at Joliette Toyota.
“Managing as a woman, but also managing succession, is quite a challenge,” declares the entrepreneur. We manage emotions. I’m going to show you something, you’ll understand very well. »
She slides her chair to a drawer, from which she extracts three caps.
“We have three hats. I have the three P’s, and our children have the three E’s.”
She puts on a cap with the word “owner” written on it.
“Me, initially, I am an owner. And I’m also a boss. And I am also a parent,” she lists, showing the three duly identified caps.
His son has the same three, marked “prospective boss”, “employee” and “child”.
“The problem with succession is that the hats get mixed up,” she said. The next generation no longer knows who is speaking.
– I adore ! Ruby says, her face happy. Can you put your cap back on? I would like to photograph you, I think you are great!
— Nathalie, show them to me again! », adds Valérie, who also photographs her screen with her cell phone.
“That’s often the problem, we mix emotions,” Nathalie continues. First of all, we are mothers! »
As proof: “One day, my son’s girlfriend had just left him and he came into my office with his “child” cap: “Can I talk to my mother?” »