5 questions with … Fuel Capital Group SVP Steve Pietrowicz

Fuel Capital Group Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing Steve Pietrowicz leads his team with a mission to enhance the lender’s market presence and heighten its brand awareness. At home, he leads his team of 9-year-old triplets as they navigate school and travel sports.

When Pietrowicz isn’t working toward Fuel Capital Group’s goal of becoming a top three used-motorcycle lender, he can be found cheering on his kids at lacrosse tournaments across the Northeast.

“They are my life. I spend as much time with them as I can,” he said. “I’m on the road a lot with my job, so when I’m home I try to dedicate as much time as possible to them.”

Before making the switch to powersports from auto lending in 2019, Pietrowicz led sales and marketing operations at Auto Trakk, Chrysler Financial and United Auto Credit Corp.

Since launching in 2018, Fuel Capital Group has worked to expand its national footprint by prioritizing its online capabilities and updating its technologies to make the lender’s platform easy to use for dealer partners. As Fuel Capital Group continues to grow, the lender is working toward a “goal of being the one-stop shop for powersports lending,” Pietrowicz said.

Auto Finance Excellence sat down with Pietrowicz to learn about Fuel Capital Group’s goals, his own biggest influences and the best leadership advice he’s ever received.

Auto Finance Excellence: What are your company goals in about 10 words or less?

Steve Pietrowicz: To become the one-stop shop for powersports finance.

AFE: What is your favorite piece of leadership advice ever received?

SP: Surround yourself with smart people. I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t know everything, so it’s important to listen to those I report to and more importantly, listen to the people who work for me.

AFE: Who has had the biggest influence on your career?

SP: Dusty Crone. He was my first direct boss at United Auto Credit, where I worked for 13 years. He really developed me and spent the time to teach me the business and management. He was really influential and someone that I can still lean on for advice and guidance, both personally and professionally. I’m also constantly learning from my sales reps; they impact how I make decisions from the management side.

AFE: What do you think is the most underrated lending trend?

SP: Speed is everything. To deliver a bike or an off-road product, dealers need funding approval, and they need it quickly. It’s different from the auto side because auto dealers have more lending options. In the past two years lender speed has ramped up, giving dealers a sense of comfort to deliver a unit.

AFE: What’s something your employees would be surprised to learn about you?

SP: I’m an open book, especially with the people that work with me and for me. I have good relationships with the people that work for me, and I think that not talking business all the time and being able to talk about family and what I like to do is important. I’m sure all my employees could tell you more stories about my triplets than I could.

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