Santosh Viswanathan

A principled business strategist with the powerful ability to recognize viable business markets and growth opportunities, Santosh Viswanathan is an expert at implementing techniques to grow revenues, nurture opportunities, increase customer satisfaction, grow market share, and deliver profit improvements. Santosh was the Time Magazine Quality Dealer Award nominee to represent the Delaware Auto Dealers at National Auto Dealers Association in 2020. In 2020, Mr. Viswanathan was awarded an open point in Seaford, DE by Stellantis to represent the Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and RAM brands. He successfully launched a new business in a market that had not had Stellantis representation in a couple of decades. When Covid-19 hit, right as the business was launching, Mr. Viswanathan used his 25 years of automobile experience to keep sales growing and maintained high levels of customer satisfaction while generating a profit in his first year of operating a new business. Lakeshore Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM has since had a steady increase in revenues, customer loyalty plus high levels of customer satisfaction in the Washington region. In 2018, Mr. Viswanathan launched the web Portal, www.20groupdealertrades.com to capitalize on a major dislocation in the market place to facilitate disposal of aged pre-owned inventory. The Portal has allowed franchised auto dealers in the U.S. to trade pre-owned inventory amongst each other. A first of its kind, auto dealers have been actively engaging on this Portal and relying less on the traditional auctions by dealing direct and saving money. Santosh Viswanathan was profiled in the 2019-2020 Innovation Delaware magazine as an entrepreneur who has harnessed technology to lower barriers, streamline business processes and cut costs. In 2004, Mr. Viswanathan partnered with a former colleague and became the Managing Partner of Willis Ford in Smyrna, DE. Since that time, Santosh has led the company to record results having almost doubled sales. He has led the automation of business processes, increased customer sales and service satisfaction scores above the national average, and implemented e-initiatives that account for 90% of sales. Santosh served on the Board of the Philadelphia Ford Dealer Advertising Fund. He is the Chairman of the Legislative Committee of the Delaware Auto Dealers Association.