Driving Culture and the Future of Automotive with General Manager Jason Viscarra

Get to Know Jason Viscarra, General Manager at Mercedes-Benz of Walnut Creek

First Role at Sonic Automotive: Used Car Manager

Current Role at Sonic Automotive: General Manager

Current Dealership: Mercedes-Benz of Walnut Creek

Years at Sonic: 14

Favorite Mercedes-Benz Car: 2003 Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG

Go-to Pump-up Artist: Underoath

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When Jason Viscarra , General Manager at Mercedes-Benz of Walnut Creek, started on his career path, he was studying to be a psychologist. He quickly realized that was not the path he wanted to pursue and spent most of his early twenties playing guitar in a metal band. Around the age of 26, Jason tagged along with a friend who was looking to purchase a Mercedes. He stumbled into the automotive world when he was offered a porter position at a Mercedes-Benz dealership. The rest is history – Jason became hooked on an automotive career.

Accelerating into an Automotive Career

Jason started his career as a porter and was promoted to assistant used car manager over the next two years. Shortly after, former Stevens Creek BMW General Manager and current Sonic Automotive Regional Vice President, Kevin Gaither , approached Jason to join the team as a used car manager. Jason was intrigued by the opportunity to learn more about the automotive industry and grow his career, so he accepted the role. In 2009, Jason officially became a Sonic Automotive teammate. Within three years, Jason helped the store become a top dealership in the United States for used BMW sales.

Jason excelled in his career and made a name for himself at Sonic Automotive. He had big dreams, and his sights were set on being a respected and trusted leader. Jason's success eventually landed him the opportunity to become a used vehicle director in North Carolina. But not wanting to leave his beloved state of California, he decided to turn down the role. Jason was weary about his choice, but eventually, the pieces fell into place. Shortly after, a position became available for Jason in his home state of California at Honda of Serramonte as Used Vehicle Director overseeing Sonic franchise dealerships in California, Nevada, and Denver. The first year in the role, he was voted teammate of the year for his region.

Jason continued to climb his career ladder from used vehicle director to General Manager at Honda of Serramonte before becoming General Manager at Mercedes-Benz of Walnut Creek, where he has been for the last nine years.

Driving Culture Through Transformation

During his career progression, Jason has enjoyed working with luxury car brands and creating memorable experiences for guests. Jason credits his growth to leaders who became mentors and challenged him to be the best leader he could be.

Jason is a proud Sonic Automotive General Manager Leadership Academy (GMLA) graduate, where he learned about a "winning culture" mentality. Jason's leadership style is driven by a "winning" mentality and the transparent communication style he's adopted from Sonic Automotive's executive leadership team. Jason shares, "Being around all these great leaders is all that I know – they have instilled in us to be great to people and keep on 'winning.' These attributes are inherent to our company."

Jason is known throughout the company for being a transformative leader. He's passionate about advocating for diversity and inclusion at his dealership and across the company. Jason even served as a member of the Women's Leadership Program Steering Committee, assisting in the development of recommendations to enhance the working experience for women at Sonic Automotive. He proudly shares that women make up 35% of the leadership team at Mercedes-Benz of Walnut Creek.

Fostering the Future of Automotive

Jason has prided himself on creating a culture of trust by teaching his teammates to work smarter, not harder. When bringing in future teammates, Jason shares his story, "We sell them on the dream that you can start as a porter and become a General Manager. I think it's realistic to tell people the truth and exactly what they're going to get. We don't want to overpromise and underdeliver, but we want to prepare them for these opportunities, so they know what they're getting into and aren't surprised when they achieve their goals."

It is important to Jason that the culture at his dealership is human; he understands that people have families and commitments outside of their roles that make them who they are. He also instills in his team the importance of trust when hiring and onboarding new teammates. "As soon as we shake this person's hand and make this person a job offer, they are 100% on our team. We are 100% in on them, and the only way they fail is on us. We make that commitment for every single person we hire," Jason explains. His dealership ensures they give teammates the tools and resources to not only do their jobs well but flourish in their careers, and that starts from day one.

If he had to summarize his advice for teammates, Jason shares, "Make sure you surround yourself with good people. Make sure you like what you're doing. You have to be happy." Jason's outward dedication to the betterment of Sonic Automotive is contagious. Even a quick conversation with Jason leaves you inspired to succeed and proud to be a part of the Sonic Automotive team.

To learn more about career opportunities at Sonic Automotive, visit jobs.sonicautomotive.com.