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A LOT OF AUTO EXECUTIVES PRIDE THEMSELVES ON their relations with dealers.
But perhaps no auto executive knows the mind of the dealer better than Mike Jackson, president of MercedesBenz of North America, Inc (MBNA).
That's because Mr.Jackson was a dealer. A very successful dealer. He was chairman of Mercedes-Benz' National Dealer Council in 1990 when corporate brass, duly impressed, asked him to cross over to the corporate side.
It was a unique move. It was also a dark time for MBNA. Competition was stiffening and sales were slipping. Parent DaimlerBenz and MBNA saw the enthusiastic and visionary chairman of its dealer council as someone who potentially could orchestrate a comeback. Mr. Jackson became MBNA's vice president of sales and marketing. This year he became president.
Mr. Jackson's dealership career began humbly and fortuitously. He was married and attending law school at Georgetown University in Washington D.C. when he bought his first car, an old Mercedes-Benz 190SL in 1971.
He recalls, "It was in immediate need of repairs, and I had no money. I went to the local Mercedes dealer and said, `I'll sweep the floor in exchange for the mechanic fixing my car.' They worked...