Automotive News - November 9, 2015 - Supplement - 88W

20151109-Sup1--0088-NAT-CCI-AN_--

11/2/2015

12:51 PM

Page 1

88W * NOVEMBER 9, 2015

W O M E N

ANDREA RILEY
Chief Marketing Officer | Ally
Financial | Detroit | Age: 50 |
Education: B.A., advertising,
communications, Michigan
State University

>> HAVING
HER SAY:
autonews.com/
rileyvideo

● What attracted you to the auto
industry? I've always wanted to
work in the auto industry. I've loved
the car culture growing up in
Detroit. I like working on big
brands. The auto industry is a big
brand kind of an industry. So it was
a natural marriage of my love of

●●●
●

cars and my love of working on a
big, iconic, well-known brand.
● First automotive job: In 1987, I
worked at Campbell Ewald
advertising. It was the only place I
applied when I got out of college. I
started in the traffic department,
making $15,000 a year and having
to call my dad every second week
of the pay period to pay my bills.
● Big break: My first big break was
when Campbell Ewald pulled me up
into what was considered the big
leagues, which was the national
advertising account group for

Chevy. But my biggest break was
view. People think, "It's an industry
transitioning from the agency to the
for those people. It's not an
industry for me."
client side and coming to Ally.
Having the opportunity to come
● Tell us about your family. I have
here and help create the Ally brand
two boys. One is 18. He's going to
and move the company from its
Western Michigan to get a degree
captive roots to becoming a true
in business and marketing. He
marketplace competitor; to
played hockey his whole life. He
launching and helping build out Ally
has become a car zealot, thanks to
Bank; launching the brand, the
his mom. We have a lot in
brand standards, the guidelines, all
common.
the ways that we were going to
And then I have a 15-year-old son
create this brand from the ground
who's polar opposite. He wants to
up.
be a veterinarian. He's a
● What is the major challenge
sophomore in high school. He
you've faced in your career? Trying
couldn't care less about cars. He
to balance a schedule at work
couldn't care less about sports. He
that's extremely rigorous with being
is exceptionally intelligent and
at the things that were meaningful
creative.
to my children and to me and my
I have my parents and one sister. I
family. I've always had the kind of
lost a brother a couple of years
job where I had to travel
ago.
extensively. So trying to figure out
what would become "normal" in our I'm Greek, very close with my
family. I have a big extended family.
household with me being gone at
We're very loud and like to eat a lot
least a couple of days a week.
of good food.
● Who has had the biggest
● What's your favorite weekend
influence on your career? A few
activity? Taking the boat out.
people, and they've all been Ally
people. One is Tim Russi, president There's a calming effect of being on
of auto finance for Ally Financial. He the water. It's always a bonus when
I get off the water and get to drive
took me under his wing, taught me
my Porsche home really fast. It's a
a lot about the auto finance part of
way to completely forget about
the business, but he also taught
everything, put your phone away
me a lot about business - the art
and not think about work or
of making a deal, the rigor that's
anything else.
necessary to balance between
● Are you able to maintain
spend and ROI.
friendships? I try to
The second is my
"We need more
spend as much time
boss Di Morais,
awareness
in
as possible. You get
who is CEO of Ally
to a certain time in
general, not just
Bank. She's
your life and in your
always been a
among women but career, and you have
sounding board for
to do serious time
among millennials
me. She's just
allocation. Your
been somebody
as well, of all the
primary allocation is
that I've been able
opportunities in the probably to work. My
to watch, and I
next allocation is to
auto industry."
admire her ability
spend as much time
to have such an
as
I
can
with
my
kids and being at
amazing command over her
their events. But I think it's very
business while balancing having
important to spend time with
three kids and a husband and
friends. I have a close group of
being a very involved mom.
girlfriends, many of whom are in the
The third is Jeff Brown, who is CEO
automotive industry. We all have
of Ally Financial. He has placed an
high-pressure jobs, and it's just nice
amazing amount of trust in me and
to get together and share war
given me significant opportunity to
stories and laugh and feel like there
create value in the short time he's
are other people in it with you.
been CEO at this company. He's
● Name one thing about yourself
also been great in terms of
that most people don't know. I'm
refocusing me on the importance of
a worrier. I come across confident
working hard but playing hard.
and direct in my point of view, and I
● What should be done to
am capable of dealing with conflict.
encourage women to enter the
But at the core of it, I really don't
auto industry? We need more
like drama and conflict. I worry
awareness in general, not just
about the way things are affecting
among women but among
people or the way things will affect
millennials as well, of all the
my family or the way decisions that
opportunities in the auto industry.
I've made will affect our company
In general, the media tends to
or our business. I don't sleep
focus on the same people in the
through the night ever.
automotive industry for all their
● If I had it to do all over again,
sources of information, whether it's
I'd ... have moved to New York and
interviews or speaker roles at
spent a couple of years working in
conventions or just reaching out to
a big town, doing the same thing
for a point of view, and it typically
but getting a different point of view.
tends to be men. There needs to
I got married right when I got out of
be a broader swath of subjectcollege to my high school
matter experts who are highlighted
sweetheart. We never got out of
and who we're reaching out to as
Michigan. We lived in the town we
an industry that is much more
grew up in. Fortunately, I've gotten
inclusive of women and diversity so
to travel, so I've gotten to see a lot
we can overcome the perception
of the world. But I wish I had taken
that the automotive industry is just
the opportunity to go away to a big
an industry for men. Every
city and just been on my own for a
convention you go to, it's the same
little while and really experience a
seven speakers. Every time you
different way of living and thinking
pick up the newspaper, it's the
and different points of view.
same seven to 10 people that
- Hannah Lutz
everyone is going to for a point of

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L E A D I N G

http://www.autonews.com/rileyvideo http://ready.suprasystems.com

Automotive News - November 9, 2015 - Supplement

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