The Partners in Excellence Program acknowledges top-performing dealers based on their dedication to customer satisfaction, commitment to providing high-quality financing solutions, and overall customer support. These dealers have gone above and beyond in ensuring their customers receive financing solutions that meet their needs and support their business growth.

The winners will be honored with an exclusive reward trip to The Resort at Pelican Hill in Newport Beach, California in October.

“We are incredibly proud to honor these exceptional dealers who have shown dedication, excellence, and significant achievements in supporting customer financing needs,” said John Crews, President of Toyota Industries Commercial Finance. “Their hard work and commitment to providing outstanding customer service have set a high standard in the industry, and we look forward to celebrating their success at The Resort at Pelican Hill.”

Any dealer knows that making informed, mutually beneficial decisions quickly is critical to driving business success. That’s where TICF’s Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) department strives to be an ally, with financial insights and strategic guidance that help multiple internal and external stakeholders thrive.

The team, comprised of five full-time associates and a summer intern, oversees multi-layered functions, explains Howard Lee, Senior Manager of the Finance and Pricing department at TICF.

The Pricing and Program side, headed by Nikolai Carroll, focuses on providing the best possible experience for dealers and their customers. The team develops new programs and establishes competitive rates through closely observing trends in the market and monitoring their competitors’ moves. In addition they provide financial analytics to the executive team to inform decisions on TICF’s direction and share financial metrics for each dealer with the Regional Sales Managers (RSMs) so they can find areas of opportunity as they help them reach their goals.

The team also is heavily involved in the budgeting and forecasting process for the organization, which entails collaborating closely with various departments to gather data, analyze trends, and project financial results.

FP&A works closely with the sales department to gain insight gleaned from the close relationship they have with dealers. Sales is an integral part of the monthly pricing committee meeting FP&A hosts internally with executive management and key stakeholders to discuss potential rate changes and impact. “They have their finger on the pulse of the market so we work hand in hand with them each month to make sure we deliver rates that reflect market demand, competitive positioning, and profitability targets,” Carroll says.

When introducing new products, FP&A and Sales collaborate to set initial pricing that will attract customers while ensuring profitability. And they jointly develop and evaluate promotional programs and discounts to understand the financial implications and ensure they drive desired sales behavior without eroding margins.

“Overall, the FP&A Pricing team serves as a central hub for coordinating pricing-related activities across various departments, ensuring that TICF’s pricing strategies are well-informed, financially sound, and effectively implemented to ultimately support the company’s sales and profitability goals,” says Lee.

In addition, they are able to customize product offerings based on segmentation analysis. “Because we recognize the market is very sensitive to rates right now, we are trying to get creative on how we can provide solutions to customers,” he explains. The team is always looking for more cohesive and consistent pricing to streamline rates that more accurately reflect synergies between products.

Lee stresses that while profitability is one of the department’s key metrics, it’s not the only one. “We want dealers to realize that, unlike other FP&A departments whose goal is usually to maximize profit for the company, at TICF we aim to maximize the value chain of all Toyota companies, including Toyota Material Handling and the dealers. That means we take a more holistic view of problems or programs to benefit everyone and are always considering issues from all angles, not just what’s best for TICF.”

That means there may be times when they analyze the financial impact of certain decisions or programs and recognize that while they may not contribute substantially to TICF’s profitability, they are something customers and dealers need. For example, during last year’s production shutdown, they locked the rate for customers for 12 months.

The team also is working on making the messaging and pricing for products more consistent to eliminate confusion on which type of product is best for which type of customer.

“We’re always aiming to improve our process and integrate our workflow with other systems inside the company, such as the new origination system,“ Lee says. “Our team knows that improving our processes will have a downstream positive impact on customers.”

While relatively new to TICF, McAvoy isn’t new to the function, having served a comparable role previously for Daimler Truck Finance. He began his career on the operations side and transitioned to the credit side, ultimately becoming a credit manager which exposed him to the functions of F&I managers and the sales team.

That sparked his interest in sales, which requires being well versed in everything the company does. “That’s because you’re with the customer throughout their lifecycle—from the contract origination phase to lease maturity,” he says. Part of that service, even if you are not “the” expert, is knowing who to reach out to in other departments to get the information your customers need to make decisions.

Although the goal is to provide the level of service that will keep every customer once they’re in the portfolio, McAvoy notes that in reality, every deal must be won because customers will always be comparing service and products with competitors. “As RSMs, we need to offer a creative, flexible solution that makes sense for TICF, the dealer, and the customer. I always want to support the dealer body and make sure that our actions show we are committed to help them grow.”

Part of that role is acting as an advocate for dealer requests to help TICF departments see the bigger picture for any requests and paint the scenario of why it would be beneficial for all parties to make it happen. However, he realizes that sometimes requests just can’t be accommodated, which is where he prioritizes being transparent with dealers. “Transparency translates to trust, but it has to be built over time,” McAvoy says. “At the end of the day it’s all about customer service, and our sales team and internal teams do an excellent job of that.”

Sales is an exciting role because no two days are the same, he says, which requires a great deal of organization and efficiency, coupled with an agile perspective. “Your day could go in any direction. I might have a work-from-home day planned and then need to end up in front of the customer because something popped up that I need to address.”

While the variety keeps it fresh, McAvoy points out that it’s not a standard 8-to-5 job, and part of success comes from being consistently available, which can means taking calls on evenings or weekends. “The level of service we offer is very high, and we wear a lot of different hats.”

While McAvoy is committed to his customers’ success, another hat he wears is that of “family man.” In fact, on the weekends, you’ll find him and his wife busy with the myriad activities their three kids participate in, including coaching Little League. A golfer since high school, he tries to find time to fit in a round whenever he can, and this summer is looking forward to a family reunion at a lake in southern Indiana, followed by a late-summer family trip to Charleston, South Carolina.