James Wood, Vice President of Sales

I came to Penske straight from college. I loved Penske's winning attitude. The company had a lot of opportunities for growth, and I could tell it would be a great place to grow my career. And it was exciting that the founder of the company was a champion racecar driver.

I started out as a rental rep, quickly transitioned to rental manager and just kept moving into more responsible positions. My supervisors gave me a lot of feedback, and whenever they saw an opportunity they thought I'd be suited for, they'd recommend me for the job. After several years with the company and experience in a variety of positions, I became a corporate sales trainer and got to work with Penske people across the country. I even trained the company president and vice presidents in sales skills!

Penske's a $4 billion company, but it feels like a family. Our overall philosophy is that we're going to take care of each other. We have a sense of teamwork. We're hard-charging. We deliver more than our customers expect, so at the end of the day they agree we're the best choice.

I think the rewards of working at Penske are pretty significant. I've been here 25 years and remain as engaged and enthusiastic as day one. Being a part of the officers' team and having insights and input into the future strategy and goals of the company is the right place for me to be.

Jim is a 16-time honoree in the Winner's Circle, Penske's annual recognition program for staff with outstanding sales performance.

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