Dealership Turnaround
Took Boswell Honda from a net loss to 3.75% net-to-sales in five months as General Manager. Drove Honda sales effectiveness to 125% of market expectation and earned the Honda President’s Award.
Sam Griswold
Automotive Executive
General Manager | Automotive Executive | Fixed Operations Leader
20 years of dealership leadership across sales, F&I, service, and parts. A financial-statement operator who builds capable management teams and holds every department to the forecast. Available for General Manager, GSM, and Fixed Operations leadership roles.
Sam Griswold
General Manager | Automotive Executive | Fixed Operations Leader
- Sales Growth
- Fixed Ops Strategy
- F&I Coordination
- Financial Statement & Forecasting
- Record Performance
- Culture
Proof of Performance
Proven Across the Drive, the Statement,
Proven Across the Drive, the Statement,
and the Team
Record-Setting Profitability
Record 5.5% net-to-sales as General Manager of Maus Nissan/Acura of N. Tampa, with back-to-back Nissan Awards of Excellence and the President’s Award.
Full-Store Growth
Grew combined new and used sales from 105 to 290 units per month and combined service gross from $650K to $1.3M per month at Maus Nissan/Acura.
Fixed Operations Growth
Grew monthly fixed gross from $400K to $1.5M at Morgan Auto Group while scaling to 44+ technicians and 16 advisors. 47% career-average Fixed Operations net-to-gross.
The Approach
One Operation, Two Engines,
One Operation, Two Engines,
One Standard
I've run the store from every seat - sales, service, F&I, and the corner office. That range shapes how I lead. I don't treat variable and fixed as competing departments. I treat them as one operation with two engines, both accountable to the same standard.
The stores I've led have turned losses into profit, broken store and group records, won manufacturer awards, and built leadership benches that held after I left. Not because I chase numbers - because I install the systems, standards, and cadence that make numbers inevitable.
Full-Store Operator
Runs the store off the financial statement: monthly forecasting, budgeting, and expense control, with every department accountable to the forecast.
Systems Builder
Installs the cadence, process discipline, scoreboards, and leadership habits that make performance repeatable.
Leadership Developer
Builds benches that hold by raising expectations, coaching decision quality, and creating a culture of ownership.
Executive Impact
Built to Break Records,
Built to Break Records,
Not Maintain the Status Quo
01
Sales Performance
Full-store volume growth, disciplined desking, F&I coordination, inventory strategy, and gross-per-unit standards under pressure most stores collapse under.
02
Fixed Ops Performance
Record-setting service departments across financial performance, technician productivity, advisor development, and customer retention.
03
Financial Statement & Forecasting
GM-level accountability for the financial statement across sales, service, F&I, and parts. Variable and fixed operations aligned to one forecast and one accountability cadence.
04
Coaching & Culture
National Performance Coach of the Year with Chris Collins Inc. Coached 50+ dealership leaders nationally and delivered fixed and variable operations workshops to audiences of up to 300 dealer clients.
Leadership Philosophy
Strong Stores Are Built by Intention, Not Hope
Strong stores are built daily: clear expectations, clean process, honest coaching, and leaders who stay close enough to know what is really happening. I align sales, service, F&I, and management around one standard so the store runs as one operation, not a collection of departments making excuses.
01
People First, Standards Always
Culture matters. But culture without standards becomes chaos. The best teams know they are supported and challenged.
02
Inspect What You Expect
Accountability is not micromanagement. It is leadership clarity. Strong teams need clear expectations and consistent follow-through.
03
Develop the Advisor, Improve the Store
Service advisors are one of the biggest leverage points in fixed operations. I coach confidence, communication, and process discipline — the daily habits that shape how the store runs.
04
Rhythm Over Heroics
Consistency is the byproduct of daily discipline: strong meetings, clear goals, clean processes, trained people, and leaders who stay engaged.
Career Path
20 Years Across Every Seat in the Dealership
2025 – 2026
Fixed Operations Director — Cavender Auto Group
Led multi-rooftop Fixed Operations through a one-year restructuring and the transition to a GM-led structure. Store and group records in service sales, gross profit, and net.
2024 – 2025
General Manager — Boswell Honda
Turned a net loss into 3.75% net-to-sales within five months. 125% Honda sales effectiveness and the Honda President’s Award.
2023 – 2024
National Performance Coach — Chris Collins Inc.
Coached 50+ dealership leaders nationally. Workshops for audiences of up to 300 dealer clients. National Performance Coach of the Year.
2021 – 2023
General Manager — Maus Nissan/Acura of N. Tampa
Grew sales from 105 to 290 units a month and service gross from $650K to $1.3M a month. Record 5.5% net-to-sales, back-to-back Nissan Awards of Excellence, and the President’s Award.
2018 – 2021
Fixed Operations Director — Morgan Auto Group
Promoted to group-level Fixed Operations over five highline rooftops after graduating top of class from the NCM Executive Leadership Academy. Grew monthly fixed gross from $400K to $1.5M and supported multiple dealership acquisitions.
2010 – 2018
Finance Director & Fixed Operations Director — AMSI / Gainesville Nissan
Directed F&I operations, then service and parts, with consistently high CSI and strong net profitability.
2006 – 2010
Internet Sales Manager to General Sales Manager — Morgan Auto Group
Began the dealership career on the sales side and advanced to General Sales Manager, leading retail sales teams and desk operations.
The Person
Direct, Practical, Proven
Sam is a 20-year automotive operator who has run variable ops, fixed ops, and finance departments at franchise dealerships across the country. He built his reputation on one principle: you don't rise to pressure - you default to what you've trained.
Roles include General Manager, General Sales Manager, Fixed Operations Director, Finance Director, and national performance coach. Franchise experience across Honda, Acura, Nissan, GM, and multi-brand groups.
Recognition includes 10 consecutive Nissan Awards of Excellence (4 Global), the Honda President's Award, and National Performance Coach of the Year. NCM Executive Leadership Academy, Top of Class. Harvard Certificate of Leadership Excellence. CPTD. Certified Mental Performance Coach.
“
You don't rise to pressure - you default to what you've trained.— Sam Griswold
Contact
Get in Touch
Open to General Manager and executive leadership opportunities, including relocation.
ResumeDownload Résumé (PDF)
Emailinfo@samgriswold.us
LocationWesley Chapel, Florida
LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/samgriswold
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