Automotive News Canada - September 2024 - 11

* SEPTEMBER 2024
11
Porsche CFO is 'involved in everything that ends in numbers'
By JIL McINTOSH
OSHAWA CORRESPONDENT
ANNETTE EDEL
A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE
ON AUTOMAKER FINANCES
AT PORSCHE CARS CANADA
in Toronto, the company's bottom
line falls to CFO Annette
Edel.
" I provide targets for what we
can spend. I have a lot of meetings
every day to align on initiatives,
[especially] as we go into
electrification, " said Edel.
She also
evaluates
" risks, and
how we manage
them and
how we are
competitive. "
She's
" involved in
everything that
ends in numbers. "
The automaker is building
its Porsche Experience Project,
which includes a test track, east
of Toronto.
" I'm heavily involved on the
budget side and overlooking it
with the project manager, " she
said. " I have my construction
boots ready as I'm also on the
site to deal with our partners
there. "
quarters in Stuttgart, Germany.
She transferred to the sales
and marketing division in
Germany, overseeing the purchase
and integration of two
dealerships. She worked as the
financial director at one before
returning to head office for tax
accounting.
In 2021, she moved to Taiwan
as finance director of Porsche's
operations there.
Annette Edel worked for
Porsche's Germany, Spain
and Taiwan divisions before
becoming CFO at Porsche
Cars Canada.
PHOTO: PORSCHE CARS CANADA
Edel, 44, earned a business
administration degree
in her native Germany. Her
career began in accounting at
Daimler's bus division and she
became head of internal audit.
In 2008, she joined Porsche.
" I was always fascinated by
cars, and the car industry is
important in Germany. "
Edel is fluent in Spanish and
served as controller of Porsche
Spain from the company's head " I
tried to learn Mandarin but
it's very hard, but I enjoyed the
adventure . . . and I learned a lot. "
She moved to Canada for her
current position in 2023.
" I have attention to detail, I
like challenges and I like to deal
with people, " she said. " I have
a passion for efficiency and it's
a great network with Porsche
worldwide. "
TROY BAUMAN
SELF-DESCRIBED TECHIE FOUND
HIS CALLING IN SOFTWARE
FORD PRO, A DIVISION OF
Ford Canada, is about serving
fleet customers, including providing
software and telematics.
Troy Bauman, the division's
senior solutions sales manager,
works with dealers and customers
remotely from his office in
Calgary.
" Car dealers are good at selling
cars and Ford hired me and
my teammates to sell software, "
he said. " We do presentations
for clients, and it could be a
plumbing company with three
vans, right up to large oil and
gas with more than a thousand
vehicles. "
Bauman's territory includes
Alberta, British Columbia,
Yukon and Northwest
Territories.
He works with customers who
have questions and he contacts
dealerships with updates on
product releases.
While there are online meetings,
he drives about 50,000 kilometres
a year to visit stores
where " the dealer has the client
relationship and the customer is
more comfortable when the dealer
is present. "
Bauman, 53, earned a tourism
marketing degree from the
University of Alberta and spent
a decade in the hotel business.
The self-described techie
joined telecommunications company
Telus in 2002 and sold data
solutions for 10 years. He moved
to a third-party GPS provider
and then went to Ford in 2022 for
his current position.
" I realized the future is in the
OEM because all our vehicles
have embedded GPS modems
in them, " he said. " If I sold you
a third-party GPS, you would
have to install the hardware and
it costs money to take a truck
out of the field. We don't need to
touch the vehicle to turn the service
on. "
Bauman credits his success to
his experience.
Troy Bauman's significant
experience with telematics
helps him connect with Ford
Pro's fleet customers.
PHOTO: FORD CANADA
" Not a lot of people in Canada
have been in telematics as long
as I have, " he said. " I understand
customers wanting
telematics for safety, reducing
down time, [getting] stolen vehicles
back. I built a reputation
and I get the business. " - ANC
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Automotive News Canada - September 2024

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