MARSHA MCCO MBS SHIELDS

Marsha Mccombs Shields says she was born into the automotive industry as the daughter of San Antonio auto magnate Red Mccombs, and just naturally gravitated toward a career following in her father’s footsteps.

She says she’s worked in almost every role in an auto dealership except for service technician, a job she said she’s happy to leave to the highly-trained tech professionals.

Today, she’s dealer principal of her family’s San Antonio dealerships, a position she’s held since 2002.

Those dealerships include Red Mccombs Hyundai Northwest, Mccombs Ford West, Red Mccombs Northwest Genesis, Red Mccombs Toyota, Red Mccombs Superior Hyundai, Universal Toyota, and Red Mccombs Ford. “I lead our family’s investments in the automotive industry and am responsible for business development, operations, [manufacturer] relations, auto technology investments, and all aspects of the business,” she said.

And she readily acknowledges that the auto business is in her blood.

“I literally grew up in the dealerships,” she said. “Family dinner conversation topics often centered on happenings in the dealership that day, plans for advertising campaigns, new models, customers, and entertaining stories about various auto salesmen.

“I have many early, fond memories of going to work with my father on Saturdays and spending the day there, at age 5 and older,” she said.

And after working in autos since the late 1970s, she said she does believe that the industry offers good careers for women in a variety of positions.

Below are Shields’ answers to some questions from the Express-news about her job in the auto industry.

Q.: You obviously had your choice of careers. Why did you choose the auto industry? A.:

After college, I was a high school teacher for 2-½ years. The car business was really a man’s world in the late ’70s, and I had not seriously considered working there until spending time and effort working in other jobs.

One day I realized I would rather be working at a dealership than teaching, and once again I knew just the person who could help make that happen. The interview process was short and sweet. My father was thrilled that I wanted to sell cars.

Q.: How did you get your first job in the industry? A.:

I knew the boss (and got a great recommendation!), and he gave me the opportunity to do [on-the-job] training and to learn from everyone in the dealerships.

Q.: Is your current job your first in the industry, or have you had other roles? A.:

I have worked at a dealership switchboard, cleaned parts bins, swept floors, sold cars, briefly been a service advisor, ordered inventory, contracted and finalized deals in finance, and done most of the jobs in a dealership.

I have not done maintenance or technical work on cars, so our customers can be confident that only highly trained techs will be working on their cars. I have also worked on the buy/sell process for obtaining and selling dealerships.

My most important job is to find and hire the best and the brightest people available, and to surround myself with people of high integrity and character who share our family values and business vision, who have a willingness to learn and to mentor others, and who contribute to the success of our business.

Q.: What’s your overall view so far of working in the auto industry? Is it what you imagined it to be? A.:

The auto industry is more fun and more satisfying than most other work opportunities I have had. I highly recommend it for anyone considering a new job position. There are many opportunities for training, mentoring, advancement, and career satisfaction, as well as for earning excellent compensation.

Q.: What is your typical day like at work? A.:

I’m an early riser. My day begins with time reading the Bible and praying, exercising, and getting ready to leave the house. Once at work, in addition to the normal schedule of meetings and daily tasks, the tyranny of the urgent often determines my day.

Each day is new and different. Just as we all experience unexpected and mundane daily tasks, the same is true in the car business.

Q.: Have you experienced any particular challenges as a woman working in a generally male-dominated industry? A.:

I entered the automotive business in the late ’70s. It was a male bastion, and a bit like the Wild West. Physical fights sometimes determined which salesman got to help a customer. Being the boss’ daughter added to the skepticism I encountered as a female.

But working hard, learning quickly, and proving I could do the job, whatever it was, usually changed the minds of my critics, and I found acceptance in the workplace.

Q.: What advice to you have for other women who might be contemplating careers in the auto industry? A.:

The auto industry is a great place for women to work. Women often outperform and out-earn their male co-workers. There is on-site training for virtually every job in the dealership. Customers often prefer to work with female employees because they bring an attention to detail, an excellent ability to listen, and a hard-working mindset to help the customers.

We require everyone to be professional in demeanor and action, and to respect both our customers and all co-workers. There is some flexibility in work hours. There is great opportunity to earn money.

We prefer to train and mentor our co-workers so that we can promote from within our own group. And we have fun working together. Anyone looking for a potential career change or even a place to start should seriously consider working in the auto industry.

Q.: Would you recommend a position like yours to other women, or what positions might you suggest? A.:

I highly recommend working in a dealership, in any position that holds interest for someone seeking a career position.