Originally from the Garden City, Jimmy Banks has hit the ground running as the newly appointed CEO at MS Motors. Transferring from his hometown of Christchurch to take up the role, Jimmy has spent the majority of his working life in the automotive industry and looks forward to continuing the MS Motors 85-year tradition of providing exceptional service while he leads the way to an even stronger future for the brand.
What drew you into the automotive industry?
I started working as a parts junior when I was 18 years old, in 2000. By 2012 I had slowly climbed the ranks into a management role with the same company. Since then, I have always worked for the same group doing different management roles at several dealerships in Christchurch. I have a reputation for building exceptional teams that provide a first-class experience to their customers. When the opportunity came up to transfer from Christchurch to Nelson as CEO of MS Motors, I jumped at it! My long-term goal has always been to ultimately lead a dealership. A CEO (or dealer principal) role does not come up very often and I consider myself very lucky that sunny Nelson was the city where this became available. My family and I moved up permanently in December 2023 and we couldn’t be happier. We see living in Nelson as a long-term commitment and we are looking forward to being part of the Nelson community.
Can you tell us about the journey so far and what continues to drive your passion today?
I have been working at MS Motors since my appointment in October, and I have been in the role since the first of January. My passion is creating a positive work environment where the MS Motors team feel valued and can make a difference. I am even more passionate about providing an exceptional customer experience. I intend to bring a level of customer experience that Nelson has never experienced before. I believe the team environment and customer experience go hand in hand and I am excited to see MS Motors lead the way here in Nelson.
What services can be offered that people may not be aware of?
MS Motors includes MS Ford, Nelson Kia, Bridgestone Richmond, Richmond Service Lane, Bridgestone Motueka, MS Service in Motueka and MS Auto Tints. This puts MS Motors in a unique position to have most of the sectors of the automotive industry covered, as well as being represented throughout the Nelson and Tasman region.
What do you hope to see for the future of MS Motors?
My goal is to build MS Motors brand as one that is known for providing first-class local service to the Nelson community. With strong global brands such as Ford, Kia and Bridgestone I am confident that we will be in a good position to serve the Nelson community for many years to come.
