CXAUTO 2023 SPEAKER
KIRK PREISER, Director, Retail Buying Experience
Audi of America
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
In 2010 Kirk joined Audi of America as an Area Director in Florida, where he led record market expansion and growth. However, he gained the most notoriety for convincing dealers to build facilities without traditional sales desks and working with them to create cohesive online and in-store digital sales processes long before omnichannel was an industry buzzword.
In 2021, Kirk became Audi’s first Director of Retail Buying Experience (RBE). This new department is responsible for the entire purchase experience, from the moment a customer touches either a Tier 1 or a Tier 3 website through engagement with the dealership and culminating with the delivery of the vehicle. RBE is responsible for the design and field deployment of Audi’s online buying initiatives and all programs that support omnichannel sales processes at the dealer level. Kirk and the RBE team work with the Audi of America Digital and IT team to ensure Tier 1 technologies are best in class and mesh with dealer tech stacks. They also work with the regional field teams to integrate new tools and technologies into traditional dealer processes.
Under Kirk’s leadership, Audi has created a nationwide field force of in-dealership Modern Retail Consultants. Their sole mission is to partner with dealers on change management and the optimization of digital solutions to create a best-in-class omnichannel experience for Audi customers. The MRCs work hand in hand with the dealer network to create a consistent and customer-focused experience across all channels that gives the consumer more transparency and control. They are experts at digital retailing and showing dealers how to develop new, updated, customer-centric processes that retain each dealership’s core identity but allow digital tools to work as intended to increase speed and trust.
Kirk began his career at Ford Motor Company in 1991 after graduating from Purdue University with a degree in Business Management. While at Ford, he progressed through multiple sales, marketing, fixed operations, network development, commercial fleet, residual value, and brand positions.