Automotive News Canada - July 2022 - 16

16
* JULY 2022
Digital-retailing expert is a survivor
AL-KARIM AWADIA
Head of industry, automotive
Google Canada
CHOSEN BECAUSE:
AL-KARIM AWADIA SURVIVED
two traumatic business experiences
- the demise of Nortel Networks and
the bankruptcy of General Motors
- and says each provided important
lessons for going forward in business.
Awadia,
45, was a business consultant
at Nortel when the tech
giant's share price collapsed from
2000 to 2002, and in 2008, was at GM's
headquarters in Oshawa when the
automaker axed four brands and
needed billions in government support
as it went through bankruptcy.
Today, Awadia leads a team of 24
geared to helping automotive customers
- automakers, dealers, parts
suppliers, etc. - with digital solutions
for advertising that measure
effectiveness and customer loyalty.
Harnessing that data and providing
critical analysis can change the way
businesses operate.
" If you could measure the effectiveness
of your advertising down
to the final sale, it would change the
way you advertise. "

IN HIS OWN WORDS:
" The GM bankruptcy was pretty
formative. It taught me so much
about resiliency, about maintaining
optimism and how to achieve
my objectives through those
kinds of times. "
GIAN PAOLO VESCIO
Congratulations
on being named one of Automotive News'
Canadians to Watch!
Gian Paolo joins Warren Ali,
Colin Dhillon & Lauren Tedesco
as proud past APMA recipients
of this honour.
Steering into
EV territory
SABRINA KEELER
Cadillac Canada national sales
operations manager,
General Motors
CHOSEN BECAUSE:
SABRINA KEELER CREDITS
her progress at General Motors
Canada to working in a number
of jobs with the automaker.
" The last 14 years have been
about learning as much as I
can about the industry and
putting my hand up for roles a
little outside my comfort area. "
Keeler, 38, is perhaps reaching
one of her most ambitious
career milestones, leading
Cadillac Canada sales efforts
as its first electric vehicle -
the Lyriq - arrives in showrooms.
She's working with the
dealer network on training,
image programs and sales performance
as the brand begins a
shift to a portfolio that's exclusively
electric.
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" Lyriq is going to be a very
exciting launch later this
year, " Keeler said.

IN HER OWN WORDS:
" There have been several
moments where the teams I
have worked with have come
together and created moments
I'm very proud about.
Candidly, I'd say the transition
now, to EVs, is a pretty pivotal
moment in our history, and
I'm proud to be contributing to
it from a ground-level perspective. "
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Automotive News Canada - July 2022

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