Boris Lopez’s journey in the auto industry started by chance in Venezuela, when a friend recommended his IT expertise to a dealer having trouble installing a new document management system.
 
Lopez worked in IT and sales at the dealership where he installed the DMS before immigrating to the U.S. and settling in Miami in 2010. He was promoted through several sales positions at South Dade Toyota before becoming director in 2015. He became director of South Dade Kia of Miami in 2019.

At the Toyota store, he focused on increasing sales and giving employees the tools they need to succeed in the long run, such as finance knowledge. He also fostered in his employees “a robust personality and profile to be able to handle the different aspects of the business,” he said.

“I think ... one of the best accomplishments so far is the team we [are] building around us as an organization,” he said.
 
South Dade Toyota has won the President’s Award, given by the automaker to recognize exceptional dealerships, every year since 2013. Net profit has quadrupled in that time.

At South Dade Kia, monthly vehicle sales nearly quadrupled since Lopez became director.

According to Lopez, “A dealership is like 10 different businesses in one rooftop.” He sees this as a positive.

“We need to prepare the marketing strategy, then we need to prepare the right data, and for this to happen we need to make internal changes for the procedures,” he said. “That’s what I love … creating those strategies for the long-term goal.”

Lopez hopes to acquire more dealerships in the future: “That’s [been] my goal since a long time ago,” he said.

— Krystal Hur