PRESTON Q=PETERSEN, 38
Dealer/Operator, General manager,
Team Automotive Group
In 2009, Preston Q=Petersen became one of the youngest general managers of a Toyota dealership in the United States. Under his guidance, Team Automotive Group is now ranked No. 22 out of the top 100 private companies in Baton Rouge. At work, he manages 335 employees, three dealerships and the largest collision center in the state. He has also served on a variety of community organizations, including the Credit Bureau of Baton Rouge Inc. Foundation.
Inspiring book: Moneyball
Don’t be afraid to reinvent your sport/industry by thinking outside of the traditional box.
PROFESSIONAL
When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? Professional race‐car driver.
What was your first job, and what did you learn from it? Firewood service. If you take care of your customers, they will call you back.
What is your favorite place for a business lunch in Baton Rouge? Coffee Bean
What do you consider your greatest achievement? Marrying up.
What is your best productivity hack? Competitive energy
What did you learn the hard way? Can’t trust everyone.
TECHNOLOGY
Mac or PC? Mac
What’s your preferred mode of communication: text or phone call? Phone call
How low will you allow your remaining battery life to get (in %) before you have an anxiety attack? Let it die.
How many unread messages are in your inbox right now? 0
What app gets you through the day? Vin Mobile, our company CRM app.
Are you quick to adapt to new tech, or did you hang on to that flip phone way after it became obsolete? Early adopter.
PERSONALITY
How many times do you hit the snooze button? 0
Breakfast at home? Breakfast on the go? Breakfast at your desk? No breakfast at all? Home.
Is the glass half empty or half full? What’s in the glass? Half full, Blue Moon
When did you realize you had grown up? After bringing my 3rd child home.
What is your greatest extravagance? Heli-skiing in British Columbia.
What trend do you really wish would come back? Jean jackets
If you could choose your age forever, what age would you choose and why? 22. Had a ton of fun with low stress.
What is your favorite journey? 60-day backpacking and canoeing trip in the Northwest and Yukon Territories.
On what occasion do you lie? When disciplining my children.
Which talent or superpower would you most like to have and why? I wish I could fly; could save a lot of time and have a great view.
If you worked for the CIA and needed a top-secret alias, what would yours be? Jackie Treehorn.
What’s your most treasured possession? Wife and three children.
What do you miss most about the ’90s? VH1 Storytellers
What is your theme song? Led Zeppelin, “No Quarter.”
Who’s the most famous celebrity you’ve ever met? Ronald Reagan.
LOOKING AHEAD
Three things on your bucket list: Heli-skiing in Alaska, marlin fishing in Madeira and take off and land from an aircraft carrier.
Have you peaked, or do you think you’ll still have it when we launch our hypothetical “Forty Over 40” awards years from now? I hope I’m just getting started.
