Hesham Elgaghil worked at Park Place Dealerships for 20 years before Ken Schnitzer sold the company in July 2020. A few weeks later, Schnitzer tapped Elgaghil to serve as president of his new venture, Avondale Group, which sells ultra-luxury brands like Rolls-Royce, Aston Martin, McLaren, and Bentley.
He recently shared his story with D CEO:
“I was born in Cairo, Egypt; I came to the United States when I was about 4 years old. My father was a high-ranking official in the Egyptian military, and my mother was a translator. They had careers, and they sacrificed it all, leaving behind our extended family because they knew that my sister and I would have better opportunities in America.
“My parents’ influence shaped my belief that there’s always a solution to a problem; we should accept nothing from ourselves but our best effort. I saw my parents provide an example of those traits every day. … In Egypt, there was a family living in a tent in between our home and our neighbor’s home.
“My mother took care of that family like they were her own, and that always stuck with me. So many people out there need support; the question is, what are we doing about it?
“In Cairo, there was a deep sense of community. Everybody cared for each other; it didn’t matter what status somebody was in the community. I’m very fortunate to have had people along the way who cared about how I was going to end up. Without those people, I certainly would not have the level of success that I’ve been able to achieve. I think it’s important to remember that we all have to help build others up. I feel a responsibility to pay that kindness forward.”
