CARY, N.C. -

Before joining Cox Automotive, Amy Mills worked on several advertising and marketing projects with manufacturers and other automotive clients on the agency side of the business. Then, one of Mills’ acquaintances mentioned an opportunity at Manheim.

“Once I met the people, I never looked back,” said Mills, who now is vice president of global strategic planning at Cox Automotive and a 2016 Women in Remarketing honoree.

Soon after Mills interacted with other Manheim personnel in her first post, she visited one the company’s auction facilities. Not only did she find herself bonding with those people, the activities in the lanes and beyond left a permanent impression.

“It is the truest representation of the live, dynamic, complex nature of our business that makes it unique and addictive,” Mills said.

The wholesale business certainly has become even more complex during Mills’ time with Manheim and Cox Automotive. She recollected that at the time she joined the company, Manheim was setting up the technology that allowed activity in the lanes to be seen worldwide through the Internet via the company’s Simulcast product.

Mills pointed out that technology created the most dramatic change she has seen during her time in the industry, “growing into a global commerce platform for our business and an indispensable part of how we operate. 

“That digital transformation and all the new mobile tools for dealers to manage their businesses over the past decade has been the most significant,” she added.

No matter how much technology evolves, Mills still harkens back to what initially brought her to Cox Automotive — people. As in both coworkers and clients.

When asked to pinpoint what’s been most rewarding about having a career in automotive, Mills replied that “working real time with our customers to solve their business challenges, and seeing those through to positive results. 

“Among my first few roles at Manheim was as marketing manager, partnering with our key customer accounts on strategic marketing and sales programs,” she continued. “Momentum was just beginning to build with the Simulcast product, opening up a lot of new options to get creative in how we reach buyers nationwide for vehicles coming off-lease or out of the rental fleet. We experimented with everything from ‘postcard’ image-only sales to theater style evening bid events, all which led to increasing sell-through, opening new sale venues and discovering a lot about how our digital tools needed to evolve.”

Outside of her responsibilities for Cox Automotive, Mills again mentioned the importance of people, especially her husband, parents and siblings.

“As I advance in my career, I realize how much I really learned from my mom and dad,” Mills said. “Each had a very different but unique gift in how they related to others, coupled with a resilient and tenacious drive and work ethic. That lives on in my siblings and their families and children, who teach me something new almost every day.”

Even with an executive post at Cox Automotive, Mills isn’t about to rest on her laurels for a specific reason. What? Yes … people.

“I have met and worked with some of the most brilliant leaders and entrepreneurs,” Mills said. “The bar is continually raised by the quality of my colleagues and industry partners. I also believe we have yet to see the greatest days of our industry and a truly global automotive marketplace.”

Check out the April 15 edition of Auto Remarketing to learn more about the entire class of 2016 Women in Remarketing honorees.

These outstanding leaders will be honored at Used Car Week 2016, where we will be launching our National Remarketing Conference partnership with the National Auto Auction Association.

Used Car Week is scheduled for Nov. 14-18 at the Red Rock in Las Vegas.