The panel, entitled: Achieving growth through an omni-channel buying and financing experience is part of the important first general session on the opening morning of the convention which is being held at the International Convention Centre in Sydney from June 14 to 15.

Corporate acquisitions & relationships manager at Angle Auto, Alex Farrugia, will moderate the panel of experts, drawing on her comprehensive industry experience to extract valuable insights into the future of the buying and financing experience and the role that omni channel will play in achieving growth.   

The panellists will be: 

• Anna Perera-Shaw – director of consumer credit, deposits, and payments for global data-driven strategic insights provider, RFI Global
• James Nipperess – group general manager, sales, and financial services for  Sime Darby Motors Australia
• Evange Epa – national business performance manager for Angle Auto Finance
• Toby Simmons – founder and managing director of EKTO Advisory and Investment
• Alex Farrugia, panel moderator – corporate acquisitions & relationships manager at Angle Auto Finance

Anna Perera-Shaw

Ms Perera-Shaw of RFI Global, who conducted the leading auto finance study in Australia, since 2017, told GoAutoNews Premium: “Data collected by RFI Global showed that 44% of dealership customers thought about their financing options before commencing the purchasing process.  

“RFI Global have compiled the latest data from our annual Australian Auto Finance Study, and I look forward to sharing with the panel the new trends we are seeing on the evolution of customer behaviour in car buying and financing”.

“We have run this dedicated Auto Finance study since 2017 and it has been interesting to see different trends emerge in a rapidly evolving market that has seen a number of unexpected challenges. There is opportunity for car finance providers to meet customer needs in new and innovative ways and I look forward to discussing the RFI research in the panel.”

Alexandra Farrugia

Ms Farrugia told GoAutoNews Premium “as moderator I am looking forward to  drawing on the holistic automotive market experience of our diverse range of panellists and, through their expertise, highlight how omni channel can be operationalised and integrated into dealership processes to drive sales growth.”

James Nipperess

Mr Nipperess, with his extensive experience in sales and financial services, will highlight the importance of comprehensive omni-channel touchpoints that cover online interactions before customers physically visit the dealership. This approach has been instrumental in forging a robust partnership between Sime Darby Motors Australia and Angle Auto Finance. 

The discussion will provide insights into the dealership’s imperative to understand how customers conduct research and their preferences both prior to and during their visits to the dealership.

Evange Epa

Mr Epa of Angle Auto Finance leads the Angle Academy program which focuses on delivering insights and best practice to improve dealer finance outcomes and experience. 

Mr Epa told GoAutoNews Premium “we develop programs and workshops that address real and current challenges in the automotive finance landscape. Our goal is to equip all functions within the dealership with the right tools and selling skills to help influence greater finance penetration outcomes.” I look forward to sharing these learnings with the panel.”

Toby Simmons

Mr Simmons, of EKTO Advisory & Investments, brings to the table views on the emerging structural trends, landscape changes, value chain and economic impacts likely to influence the Australian auto industry in the years to come. 

Mr Simmons said “the automotive industry is at a critical inflection point, with significant structural change occurring from product, distribution, and customer preferencing. I’m excited to be able to discuss the potential impact these changes have on the industry and all stakeholders, as well as the strategies that can be employed to capitalise upon them.”

The director of the convention, Patrick Tessier, told GoAutoNews Premium that the panel was important for dealers who are seeking to increase their finance sales penetration which has a huge upside opportunity as a growing profit centre.

“This session is almost a case study of what dealers can do about the finance opportunity. 

“When you think about it, around 2 in 5* customers are likely to organise finance with dealers. So, the opportunity to grow their business is actually quite significant.” 

“We think we do about 300,000 finance contracts a year through dealers. So, it’s a very substantial business already.” 

Mr Tessier said that the majority of car buyers finance their car. 

“So, the number of people who determine how they’re going to buy a car in terms of finance, before they set foot in the dealership, is actually really big. That’s why that omni channel experience needs to be explored by dealers and needs to have those solutions front and centre.”

He said the dealership should be the obvious place to buy vehicle finance “because dealers in the main are more competitive than banks for car finance lending, much more competitive.”

“The buying experience has changed. And there’s an omni channel environment where customers are using different platforms to reach dealerships and organise their car loans. I think that ultimately it will be quite a lucrative activity and will grow well beyond that ~40%* per cent to a much bigger number.”

“I think the omni channel buying experience is something important and dealers need to invest in it.”

“So, I am really looking forward to this panel because I actually think that opportunity is really substantial for the dealer network.”

*Source 1: RFI Global Australian Auto Finance Program (AAFP) 2022-23

By John Mellor