Breaking New Ground - Collision Repair Magazine

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Volume 6

Issue 1

Breaking New Ground

Written by Maxine Cheung

Saturday, 17 March 2007

Micky Pozsgai puts her shop experience to good use on the road for Sherwin-Williams. Traveling off the beaten path and establishing new ground is nothing new for Maria (Micky) Pozsgai, a Sales Representative for Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes.
As a female working in what many say is a male dominated industry, “Micky represents our belief in equal opportunity employment,” says Daryll O’Keefe, Region Manager for Sherwin-Williams Automotive in Ontario. “We simply look for the most qualified people.”
Although Micky has only been working with the company for a little over a year now, she is no stranger to the automotive industry. She first began her career in the industry when she was just 16-years-old and still in high school. Since then, Micky has come a long way by establishing a strong name and reputation for herself in the industry.

A Matter of time
With two older brothers who had an eye for nice sports cars, it was only a matter of time before Micky would also take an interest in the car scene as well.
“I always looked up to my big brothers,” says Micky. “Hanging out with them and their cars made me want to one day work in this industry,” she said.
She first got into this line of work when she was working next door to a collision repair shop.
“I kept begging them to hire me,” Micky said. “Finally they let me work for them and I started cleaning cars there.”
Several years, shops and job duties later, Micky eventually found her calling working with paints. With all of Micky’s experience and knowledge working with cars, accep-ting a job as a Sales Representative for Sherwin-Williams was a natural progression for her career.
Originally from Mount Bridges, ON, Micky still calls Southern Ontario her home. Her duties as a Sales Representative conveniently cover the territory reaching from Owen Sound to Midland to Sault Ste Marie.
Working directly with clients and creating relationships with them on a regular basis are the keys to her success as a sales representative. Her primary duties include taking care of clients, educating them and providing solutions and answers to any problems they may be experiencing. Her dedicated efforts working with Sherwin-Williams have not gone unnoticed.
Just a few weeks ago, Micky was enrolled in the Sherwin-Williams Master Council at the Gold Level. Brian Busby, Sherwin-Williams’ Area Sales Manager for the GTA, tells us, “Master Council at the Gold Level is the highest award for our most exceptional people. It typically represents the top five per cent of our sales team. For Micky to have achieved this level of recognition in her first year is truly a testimony to her hard work and dedication.”
“This is something the company does every year,” says Micky. “For the awards, there are three levels, gold, silver and bronze; and I won gold. They’re sending me to Maui.”
Being a Sales Representative in the automotive aftermarket in Canada has been an eye-opener for Micky when it comes to women being in the industry.
Micky’s overall advice to any woman who wants to get into the automotive industry is to be persistent. She also notes that starting out in a collision repair shop as a floor employee is a bonus because it adds fuel to the fire.

stay the course
“I was on the floor when I first started out,” says Micky. “Because of that, I had the full knowledge of a lot of things to do with cars and if someone asked me to repair something, I would know what to do.”
Experience aside, her overall message to those who want to get into the industry remains simple, “If you have a true passion and a love for cars, stay with it,” says Micky. “It’ll pay off.”

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