TEAM WORK REALLY DOES MAKE THE DREAM WORK Ducati Newport Beach #1, Again!
A
good ‘ESI’ makes for a great CSI,” says Mike Guerin, president of Ducati Newport Beach. The Employee Satisfaction Index is more important to Guerin than just about any award. However being named the Ducati Dealer Of The Americas is not just any award. It is an accolade that only three dealers in the world receive! However he is quick to point out this honor is a testament to the team. “They are the best!” Ducati didn’t disagree and honored the group virtually during the 2020 Global Dealer Conference (see sidebar on page 26). Located a mile from the beach, selling more Ducati’s than any dealership in the Americas and pretty much living the dream should be enough… but it isn’t for Mike. “What can we do better is what keeps me up at night.” The focus is always on what’s next and what is better for his customers and his co-workers. In fact, part time CEO/partner/wife Judy has to remind him to enjoy the Southern California sun and reflect on some of the amazing accomplishments Ducati Newport Beach has achieved since it opened the doors back in 2009. That, and a quick ride down PCH, does the trick to keep Guerin coming back to work… well that, and the team he has assembled. They are friends and family
22
(literally in the case of VP of operations and Mike & Judy’s son Brandon). His sales manager Aaron Klink and service manager Adrian Stanner have been with the operation since day 1, and Mike was a customer of theirs long before that. “We really do have some fun around here,” he admits. Plus there are three shop dogs, with at least one on duty all the time. LESSONS LEARNED Guerin spent 35 years in the automotive industry, but at the urging of Judy… okay insistence, he decided to make his passion his profession. He also handpicked a couple of co-workers to make the leap of faith and open a stand-alone Ducati store. “We started with three desks from Ikea and a couple of bikes from Ducati, that was it.” Talk about a clean slate. “It is crazy,” Guerin admits. “In the car business you can throw money and resources at it, in this industry it is a LOT different. What drove me towards this business is the passion for the brand itself.” While being selfprofessed “risk adverse” (“I’m a complete chickensh!t when it comes to taking chances with the business), he made the leap of faith to become Ducati dealer (with a healthy nudge from Judy… it is true that behind every successful man is a great woman).
