General Motors: Striving for Mutual Success
Beyond selling and servicing vehicles, GM Envolve is taking a more holistic approach to doing business.
General Motors Canada recently announced the appointment of Sham Ahluwalia to the position of Director of GM Envolve. Effective May 1, 2024 Ahluwalia replaced Dave Watson, who is now the Director of Service Operations for GM Canada.
Ahluwalia’s relationship with GM started long before he began working for the company. “My father came to Canada back in the 1960s,” he explains, “and he knew that when he came to this country, he was going to buy himself a Chevrolet Impala, which he did. He bought a 1963 Impala, he loved that car, and has owned many GM vehicles over the years.”
Whether his father’s love of GM vehicles ultimately led to Ahluwalia joining the company and now working in fleet, we may never know. However, there’s no doubt that Ahluwalia has a passion for both GM and for fleet.
“This role as Director of GM Envolve is one that I’ve been eyeing for a long time,” he admits. “So I’m very excited to work with our fleet customers.”
Although he’s new to the role, Ahluwalia is not new to fleet. In fact, he worked in fleet for GM over 14 years ago. “I worked with our government and utility customers, and really enjoyed it,” he recalls. “And I knew that at some point, I would love to come back and work in fleet again.”
Ahluwalia spent the last 10 years working as Director of Service Operations, and Director of Sales and Marketing, Customer Care and Aftersales for GM Canada, but is happy to be back in fleet. “I love working with customers and getting to know them,” he says.
Beyond vehicle sales and service
In the past, fleet may have been about the vehicle sale or servicing. Today, Ahluwalia argues, there’s a much bigger picture to consider, and a much more holistic approach to working with fleet customers.
“GM Envolve is a customized approach to our fleet and commercial business,” he explains. “It’s basically a one-stop-shop for our customers, where we can deliver the best products, the best solutions and the best technologies. And we want to work with our customers to help them find the vehicles they need, along with the solutions and technologies that make all the difference. Our GM Envolve Account Managers and our dealerships are experts in this area.”
GM believes that today’s fleet customers need a complete package that goes way beyond the right vehicle for the right application, and includes the technologies and solutions that fleet professionals can leverage in order to better manage their assets.
“Take for example, our OnStar Business Solutions,” Ahluwalia adds. “These are great tools that can provide insights into vehicle operation and health, as well as deal with the growing problem of vehicle theft we are seeing today. And that’s just a small example of the technologies and solutions we offer our fleet customers. GM Envolve is a holistic approach to the fleet business.”
Beyond simply selling vehicles, Ahluwalia believes in working with fleet customers to help them build their businesses. “To me, GM Envolve is about the relationships and the partnerships we have with our customers and our dealerships,” he concludes. “We strive to listen to them, understand their businesses and understand their needs, so that we can help them grow. If they succeed, we succeed.”
