Andrew Hillcoat has spent more than 40 years in the automotive industry, building a career that has taken him from apprentice technician in regional Queensland to luxury automotive leadership roles across Australia and the Middle East.

In this conversation with Cameron Cresswell, Andrew shares lessons from every stage of that journey—from launching Maybach and SLR McLaren in the Middle East to helping dealerships across Australia unlock growth, improve performance, and navigate an increasingly competitive market.

Andrew Hillcoat talks about why aftersales remains one of the most overlooked opportunities in automotive retail, the leadership habits that separate great operators from average ones, and how dealerships can uncover significant profit through better process, accountability, and customer retention.

Whether you're a Dealer Principal, Service Manager, sales leader, or simply passionate about the automotive industry, this episode is packed with practical insights from someone who has seen the business from every angle.

🎧 Listen on SPOTIFY/APPLE/AMAZON/IHEART/DEEZER:
theautomotivetalentshow.riverside.com

🎬 Full Episodes:
youtube.com/@AutomotivetalentAu

🎬 Clips & Shorts:
youtube.com/@AutomotivetalentAu/shorts

📱 FOLLOW US
Instagram: instagram.com/automotivetalent
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/automotive-talent
Facebook: facebook.com/AutomotiveTalent
X/Twitter: x.com/Auto_Talent
Podcast LinkedIn: linkedin.com/showcase/the-automotive-talent-show-podcast/

👥 Host:
Cameron Cresswell
linkedin.com/in/cameroncresswell/

🎤 Guest:
Andrew Hillcoat
linkedin.com/in/andrew-hillcoat-1ba23139

CHAPTERS:
00:00 The Journey Begins: From Toowoomba to the Automotive Industry
02:26 Automotive is an Inviting Industry
03:36 Navigating the Luxury Automotive Landscape
06:29 Experiences in the Middle East: A Unique Perspective
10:14 Transitioning Back to Australia: Lessons Learned
12:04 The Importance of After Sales in Automotive
14:53 Maximizing Profitability: Strategies for Success
18:00 Driving Performance: Key Metrics and Insights
20:56 Integrating Sales and Service Departments
22:24 Accountability in Sales and Service
24:15 The Role of Mentorship in Business
25:07 Addressing Underperformance in Dealerships
27:07 Maximizing Productivity and Efficiency
28:26 Rethinking Non-Productive Staff
30:17 The Impact of AI on Dealership Operations
33:19 The Future of AI in the Automotive Industry
35:22 Communication is Always a People's Job
38:32 Evolving Roles of Dealership Management
41:18 Navigating Industry Changes and Challenges
44:46 The Importance of Leadership Optics
47:36 Building Credibility and First Impressions
49:45 Maintaining a Positive Leadership Presence
49:59 Final Outro

From an aspiring footy player to leading one of Queensland's most recognised automotive groups, Mark Beitz shares the lessons learned from 25 years of growth, change, and reinvention.

We discuss succession planning, AI and "digital employees", navigating market uncertainty, empowering future leaders, and why community-driven dealerships still have a place in the future of automotive retail.

A fascinating conversation on leadership, technology, people, and building a business that lasts.

Full episode out now.

#AutomotiveIndustry #Leadership #BusinessGrowth #Dealership #AI #FamilyBusiness #AutomotiveRetail #Podcast

🎧 Listen on SPOTIFY/APPLE/AMAZON/IHEART/DEEZER:
theautomotivetalentshow.riverside.com

🎬 Full Episodes:
youtube.com/@AutomotivetalentAu

🎬 Clips & Shorts:
youtube.com/@AutomotivetalentAu/shorts

📱 FOLLOW US
Instagram: instagram.com/automotivetalent
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/automotive-talent
Facebook: facebook.com/AutomotiveTalent
X/Twitter: x.com/Auto_Talent
Podcast LinkedIn: linkedin.com/showcase/the-automotive-talent-show-podcast/

👥 Host:
Cameron Cresswell
linkedin.com/in/cameroncresswell/

automotivetalent.com.au

🎤 Guest:
Mark Beitz
linkedin.com/in/mark-beitz-6716ba8

Bartons.net.au

The automotive industry is changing faster than ever.

From the rise of Chinese brands and EV adoption, to AI in dealerships and shifting customer behaviour — Mike Costello shares what’s really happening behind the scenes of the Australian automotive market.

A sharp conversation on data, retail evolution, technology, brand loyalty, and where the industry is headed next.

Full episode out now.

#AutomotiveIndustry #Podcast #EV #Dealership #AutomotiveNews #AI #ElectricVehicles #Cars


🎧 Listen on SPOTIFY/APPLE/AMAZON/IHEART/DEEZER:
theautomotivetalentshow.riverside.com

🎬 Full Episodes:
youtube.com/@AutomotivetalentAu

🎬 Clips & Shorts:
youtube.com/@AutomotivetalentAu/shorts

📱 FOLLOW US
Instagram: instagram.com/automotivetalent
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/automotive-talent
Facebook: facebook.com/AutomotiveTalent
X/Twitter: x.com/Auto_Talent
Podcast LinkedIn: linkedin.com/showcase/the-automotive-talent-show-podcast/

👥 Host:
Cameron Cresswell
linkedin.com/in/cameroncresswell/

🎤 Guest:
Mike Costello
linkedin.com/in/mike-costello-cox-automotive/

In this weeks episode of the podcast, Cameron catches up with Jason Harris, Head of the StrategyMob, and specialist in the digital dealership space, amongst other things!

They chat about getting tricked into joining the car industry, building brands on social media not selling, and much more. Check it out!

You can connect with Jason on LinkedIn here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/strategywithjason/

To check out StrategyMob website here - https://www.strategymob.com/

If you would like more information on anything discussed, or simply to make an appointment with us, you can do so by clicking this link - bit.ly/2S1wjzz

All conversations with you are in the strictest of confidence.

Thank you for listening to our podcast and I really appreciate Eleni's contribution. You can make contact with Eleni direct by visiting her website - https://elenidracakis.co/

If you would like more information on anything discussed, or simply to make an appointment with us, you can do so by clicking this link - bit.ly/2S1wjzz

All conversations with you are in the strictest of confidence.

In this weeks episode of the podcast, Cameron catches up with Charles Lin, Business Development Manager for AppVantage.

They chat about technology aiding the dealership of the future, adapting to the new ways of selling, leasing an EV for less than your mobile phone plan and many other great topics. Check it out!

Listen 🎧 and Subscribe 🤝 where you get your Podcasts to not miss a future episode.

You can connect with Charles on LinkedIn here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlesclin/

Check out the AppVantage Website here - https://www.appvantage.co/

If you would like more information on anything discussed, or simply to make an appointment with us, you can do so by clicking this link - bit.ly/2S1wjzz

All conversations with you are in the strictest of confidence.

In this weeks episode of the podcast, Cameron catches up with Johnny Yap, creator of the Johnny Yaps Podcast and also the Dealer Principal of MacArthur BMW in Sydney.

They chat about relationships and mentoring, focusing on activity over the outcome, and the pay packet isn’t enough engagement. Check it out!

Listen 🎧 and Subscribe 🤝 where you get your Podcasts to not miss a future episode, links below👇🏻

Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-automotive-talent-show/id1515126641

Google - https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy8xMmY3ZTU2MC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw==

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6oyEIYOaoLxxZX0ciRyEMY

Anchor - https://anchor.fm/automotive-talent

You can connect with Johnny on Instagram here -https://www.instagram.com/johnnyyaps/

Links to the Johnny Yaps Podcast here (Apple) - https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/johnny-yaps/id1491005647#episodeGuid=6822532c-7896-471f-bede-6afba6a41de3

If you would like more information on anything discussed, or simply to make an appointment with us, you can do so by clicking this link - bit.ly/2S1wjzz

All conversations with you are in the strictest of confidence.