CARY, N.C. -

Some of Nancy Fitzgerald’s earliest memories upon entering the automotive industry include a Daewoo and a first job where the tasks included just about everything under the sun.

Fitzgerald — who is now as president and chief executive officer of iLendingDIRECT — began her automotive career when she and her late husband, Patrick, opened a small dealership in Denver.

“We literally began in a building that used to be a garage and still had the lingering smell of oil and fumes of gasoline, but it worked,” said Fitzgerald, a 2016 Women in Remarketing honoree.  “Patrick was the manager and lead sales persons, and I did everything else. That included the marketing, accounting — and sadly even cleaning the toilets.

“It was an exciting time as we felt our way through the business, learning every step of the way,” she continued. “When I look back, I recognize that we began the dealership with the vision and dream of expanding the business into something much more than it was in the early days.”

What about the Daewoo? Well, that was the first vehicle Nancy Fitzgerald ever retailed. The turn convinced her that she wanted to pursue a long-lasting career in the automotive space.

“It was a Daewoo; yes I am admitting that,” Fitzgerald said. “I tried to convince the young man to buy anything else, but he was adamant and he said it was all he could afford. He was as happy as a clam. I was hooked. He was happy and that made me happy.

“That first sale and writing my first refinance loan got me hooked,” she continued. “This line of business was completely new to me as prior to that I worked as a news anchor and reporter. I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge and the service aspect of the job and it was exhilarating to capture that success.”

The exhilaration and success of retailing vehicles allowed the couple to expand and eventually form a new company, Fleet Financial, which has since been rebranded as iLendingDIRECT. The company is designed to provide low‐interest auto loans and end‐of‐lease financing programs directly to consumers, specializing in tailored solutions to customers’ unique financial situations.

“I love that we truly help people when we refinance their auto loans or get them a fleet vehicle thousands of dollars back of book,” Fitzgerald said. “We take people from double-digit to single-digit interest rates. For our customer saving $100 a month on their auto loan means food on the table at the end of the month, or catching up on their bills.

“One of my favorite stories is when we did a cash-out title loan for one couple, giving them $10,000 cash and that enabled them to adopt a baby together. That was so special. Giving a woman the news that we pulled through for her and she will soon be a mother was pretty incredible,” she went on to say.

The trajectory of the company changed dramatically when Patrick Fitzgerald was killed while riding his bicycle in 2014. Now Nancy Fitzgerald has some refined strategy when it comes time to make important decisions; a recommendations she hopes others follow.

“I always give myself the 24-hour rule. Don’t make a critical decision without really thinking it through. Don’t rush,” Fitzgerald said.

“I really do have an incredible team around me, and I rely on their expertise to help guide us.  We passionately debate problems, and that is a good thing. Conflict is good,” she continued.

“At the end of the day, it is a decision that will affect us all so we need to see it from every angle,” Fitzgerald went on to say. “And once we come to the path we need to take, we all have buy-in. It may not be the solution we would have chosen if left in a vacuum alone, but it’s the right decision for the company.”

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.