Bringing balance and passion to an automotive institution

Pat Moran got her start in the automotive world as a clerk with JM Family Enterprises in 1983. At the time, she was already part of the JM family – literally! Her father was company founder Jim Moran. But as she proved herself a natural leader, she took on more prominent positions, serving as corporate associate relations director, vice president of associate relations, and ultimately the company’s executive vice president starting in 1989. The striking range of jobs held by Moran at JM gave her a first-hand knowledge of almost every aspect of the business. Phil Smith, the CEO of Phil Smith Automotive Group, once remarked that “nobody can tell [Moran] a story because she probably has sat in that seat before,” explaining that she “learned the business from the ground up… I think that’s why she has evolved into a tremendous manager.”

Moran’s tenure is even more impressive given her status as a female in the male-dominated 1980s corporate landscape, and a single mother at the time she joined JM. Uniquely, she has recalled confronting the gender imbalance by embracing – not denying – her femininity: “I believe that working together, men and women lend balance to an organization. I’m not a believer of ‘Act like a man to get ahead.’ I have a female side, and I’m not afraid to show it. I’ve shared tears along with triumphs with my male co-workers.”

By the time she stepped down as chairman in 2007, Moran had created the largest-volume Lexus dealership, JM Lexus, of Margate, FL, and had seen her company’s revenues triple between 1989 and 1999, when they reached $7 billion. And we would be remiss not to mention her love of the AHF! In one interview, she cited her 2001 Distinguished Service Citation from the Automotive Hall of Fame as her “proudest achievement”. And the pride is mutual: with her drive, versatility, and trailblazing leadership, Pat Moran is a natural fit for the Automotive Hall of Fame.