John Hawkinson has been working in the automotive industry as a product/brand representative and trainer/facilitator since 2001. He attended Wayne State University in his hometown of Detroit, Michigan where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in business administration with a concentration in corporate finance. After completing his studies at Wayne State, John began to pursue a career in theatre and film, writing, producing, directing and performing on many stages in varied roles throughout the Great Lakes region, as well as on the East and West Coasts. An award-winning actor, he earned a scholarship and studied theatre and stagecraft working toward a Master of Arts at the University of Detroit-Mercy. Combining his undergraduate education background in business with his extensive training and experience on the American stage, John began his career as an automotive product representative. This showed to be a powerful blending of skills as he quickly proved himself to be a highly effective training professional offering dynamic stage presence and expertise in the development and presentation of sales, product and technology programs, significantly impacting performance and proficiency. In recent years, John has worked regularly as an in-dealership tour trainer/facilitator for KIA Motors America, contributing to KIA Motors’ #2 overall ranking in the 2015 JD Power Initial Quality Study. He has also contracted with and proudly represented many brands throughout his career, both premium and non-premium. John has notable experience and expertise as a dealer operations assessor and consultant having worked in this capacity directly with JD Power and Associates, and with several premium brands including BMW, Jaguar and Land Rover. He has worked extensively as a precision driver in many regional and national television commercials, and is a member of SAG-AFTRA and Actor’s Equity Association.
