EXECUTIVE INTERVIEW“John Hughes’ partnership with Hyundai goes
back to the brand’s arrival here in 1986, and he’s
frequently been recognised as one of our most
successful dealerships globally thanks to his personal
commitment to outstanding customer service.” -
Scott Grant, COO, Hyundai Motor Company Australia— we have to cooperate, make sure the
supply chain is constant, and work
together when it comes to warranty
problems — for our customers.”It hasn’t all been smooth roads for John
throughout his career; quick expansion
with too little control meant the Group
nearly went under in the early 70s. “I
recovered and I am now where I am
today,” he says. “We all make mistakes
as we get older, but you should never
make the same mistake twice.”There have been other challenges along
the road as well, including one that he’s
grappling with today: IT, social media,
websites and cutting through to a
younger customer base.“People under forty don’t read
newspapers any more, and we have
to make sure we’re staying up to
date,” he says. “This isn’t my strong
point, so I have to make sure I have
people working with me who are
good in that area that will drag me
screaming into the twenty-first
century. I don’t even have a computer.”It’s by combining his knowledge of
his own strengths and weaknesses
and being passionate in the workplacethat has earned John his success. That,
and working hard. “It’s focus, passion
and discipline that have brought me
success,” he says.“I apply discipline to myself, I apply
discipline to my staff. A manager or an
owner of a business is a lot like a light
switch — in the morning, if you don’t
turn the light switch on the place is in
darkness all day.”“We all make mistakes as we get older, but you should never make the
same mistake twice.” - John HughesHMCA10621_135x215_HPC_CEO.indd 1 14/09/2016 11:03 AM