Raj Alexander is an active new member of CFADA, and he is also the managing partner at two dealerships, Porsche South Orlando and Central Florida Lincoln. Please tell us about your childhood and education. I was born in Mumbai (formerly Bombay), India. I was an only child. My mom and I moved to the U.S. when I was 11 years old. We were very blessed to have a close family, which is normal in our Indian culture. My mother worked long hours in retail to provide for us, and I grew up in an extended household with my grandparents, uncle and aunt, who all had a hand in raising me. Growing up, I wanted to be a doctor; in our culture, it’s looked at favorably if one pursues a career in medicine, computer sciences or business. I had an affinity for math and sciences, so becoming a doctor seemed a natural choice. I played football and focused on my academics, which helped me attend Rutgers University to pursue my career in medicine. During my studies at Rutgers University, I lost my motivation to pursue medicine and steered my attention to pursuing Business Management/Finance. What interested you as a child and young man? I loved anything related to cars. I remember going for haircuts with my grandfather, and he would buy me matchbox cars to add to my collection each time. In my teens, I would love car shows and detailing cars. In my 20s, I loved tuning my cars and going to the race track. When did you become interested in the dealership industry? After Rutgers, I started a management training career path with Circuit City; I quickly realized I excelled at sales in each department. I was assigned to. A friend working in a car dealership convinced me to try my sales talent in the automotive world. I started out as a Top Sales Rep in my first month, soon was selling 30+ cars a month and already was focused on moving to the finance manager position. I found it easy to make friends with prospects, and I quickly earned repeat and referral sales from customers who became clients for life. What happened next? I migrated to South Florida and started at Braman BMW in West Palm Beach. I spent the next 18 years there growing This article was originally published in 2021-2022 Issue 3. GETTING TO KNOW RAJ ALEXANDER in responsibility. I held positions as a sales adviser, finance manager, sales manager, general sales manager and director of sales and ultimately became the general manager of Braman Porsche West Palm Beach. After that, I had an opportunity to become the general manager of Mercedes-Benz of Palm Beach, which had a pathway for me to become the VP of the Florida dealership in the automotive group. As each year passed, my dream of owning a dealership by the time I turned 40 was fading until January 2020, when an opportunity came via an unsolicited phone call, ironically on the morning of my 40th birthday. I remember it like it was yesterday. It was a Saturday morning when the opportunity to become a Managing Partner on the brand I hold close to my heart (Porsche) became a reality. Looking back, it proved to be the best move of my career. Now I just acquired my second dealership, Central Florida Lincoln, and I am looking forward to additional dealerships in the future. Why is Orlando a great market right now? 36 Pub Yr 2 | Issue 4
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