Friday, 09 December 2011

A fast moving fireball

Debbie Smith

Make no mistake, Dealer Principal of Imperial Nissan Zululand, Debbie Smith, is a force to be reckoned with. A successful businesswoman that has made a name for herself in a traditionally male dominated industry, this vivacious woman is level headed, quick thinking and fast moving. Born in Benoni, Smith fell into the motor industry in 1990 when her boss suggested that she should move from her job as a rental agent for Imperial Car Rental to a sales executive at Ford.

He believed she would be good at sales. Smith says she took a chance to do something new and has clearly been steadily climbing the corporate ladder since. In May last year Smith was offered the opportunity to become Dealer Principal of the Nissan dealership in Empangeni. Described by those that know her best as compassionate, friendly and an energetic fireball with business savvy to boot, she will not hesitate to help those around her. Her motto is that there is no ‘I’ in the word team, and firmly believes that through collective effort anything can be achieved.

A place in the sun
Smith says when she heard she was being transferred to Zululand, she immediately decided she would live in Mtunzini. ‘My parents and I used to go to Mtunzini for holidays when I was very young and I loved it, so it was an obvious choice. ‘It is so nice and quiet, and everyday when I come home, I feel as though I have gone on holiday. ‘It is the perfect place to relax and forget about the hectic and stressful world of vehicle sales.’ Smith is mother to a son, Kyle, who boards in Pretoria and visits during holidays and mid-terms.