Mark Ferris
Business operations specialist | Atturo Tire Corp. |Waukegan, Ill. | Age: 35
What was your first job in the industry?
My first job in this industry was as a Ford and Subaru dealership service department appointment coordinator.
What attracted you to the industry?
Initially it was the stability of the job. Everyone needs service or maintenance on their vehicle at some point and so independent shops or dealerships are pretty constant in their workloads. As I learned more, especially about tires, I became more or less obsessed with tire designs and spider web graphs showing all the trade-offs there are.
What is the biggest challenge you have faced in your career?
The biggest challenge in my career is a bit of cliche now but the pandemic hit when I was less than three months into my tenure with Atturo. I was still very much learning my role and the company while then also figuring out a whole new way of going about life in general. I was now on the manufacturer side of things instead of the retailer side and also being tasked with some research and development assignments while also handling costumer questions and reviewing warranty claims.
Who has had the biggest influence on your career?
The biggest influencer on my career so far has been Atturo's Vice President of Sales and Operations Karl Becker. He has helped push me outside of my comfort zone with various tasks and responsibilities that I otherwise may not have taken up which has led to me learning so much more about business, how to utilize the tools and infrastructure around us, and how to make the best decisions in the interest of our customers.
What is your biggest accomplishment in the industry?
The accomplishment I am most proud of is being a part of the team that helped develop our AZ850DR drag radial tire and it winning a Global Media Award at SEMA 2022. We all put in a lot of work developing this tire and we had a lot of fun testing it at the drag strip as well to make sure it could be a very competitive tire in that segment.
Tell us about your current job and responsibilities. How do you spend your workday?
My current responsibilities as the business operations specialist are as varied as the title may suggest. No single workday is a cookie cutter of a day and like any other. I am a part of our research and development team so some days I am researching vehicles for not only OE fitments but also plus and minus sizing as well as researching various types of tires and the market in different segments. I am also a part of our customer service team so I help with handling customer service questions, mostly technical related, but anything that may come up either by phone call, email or the chat function on our website. I am also responsible for handling warranty claims submitted through our customers and being very timely in my responses to those claims. There are quite a few more tasks and responsibilities that I help with so if there is something that needs any attention or assistance, I may have a hand in that as well.
What's been the biggest surprise of your current job?
The biggest surprise of my current job has been just how much it can take to get a new product from an idea all the way to market. Developing the AZ850DR and our AZ810 has been on the desks of dozens of people all having a role to play to make these ideas into physical products on cars driving on roads today.
Tell us about your family.
My family is the whole reason I do anything I do. My wife is in human resources for a local school district and we've been married for 13 great years. We have two kids, a 10-year-old son and four-year-old daughter. I couldn't be prouder of the people they are already turning out to be. They are so kind and considerate always looking to help their friends and family. One of our favorite things to do as a family is go to Brookfield Zoo and learn about all the animals they have.
If you could wake up tomorrow with one new skill, what would you choose?
Right now I'm taking a very introductory level class on SQL so if I could skip ahead and not have to take all the classes needed to master SQL that would be great.
In a single word, how would your friends describe you?
Helpful.
If you could switch careers tomorrow, what would you want to do, and why?
I would want to move into the player development department of an NHL franchise where I would help track a variety of data sets to help the front office make decisions on personnel as well as help players develop into better players.
What's the biggest issue facing the tire industry?
I think the biggest issue facing the tire industry is consumer education. For so many people, tires are just the black circles that only need to be replaced every few years. There are so many options today from a lot of different brands that are made for specific purposes that can do different things for a vehicle and driver. Even after the right tire is selected, ongoing education on keeping proper tire pressure, maintaining alignment and having rotations done is essential for keeping a consumer happy with their tires that last as long as possible while delivering the best performance.
When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
When I was a kid, I wanted to be a dolphin trainer.
How do you unwind after a stressful day?
To unwind after a stressful day I go home to my family and ask my kids about their days. Listening to their stories about what they learned, what games they played with their friends and what they're looking forward to doing the next day always helps put the stress of the day behind me.
What goal did you set for yourself this year? Are you on track to reach it?
Personally I set a goal of learning at least one new skill. I wouldn't say I'm on track to master this by the end of the year, but I am taking an introductory class on SQL and am hopeful I can start to use this at a very basic level the end of the year.
What do you expect to be doing 20 years from now?
Twenty years from now I expect to be part of the leadership team of a full data analytics department helping a company with making the best decisions possible in development, distribution and every other aspect of running a successful business.
