Fisker Feature: Meet Marketing, Sales & Service Senior Vice President Dawn Ahmed

Fisker’s Senior Vice President, Marketing, Sales & Service, has been captivated by beautifully designed cars since she was young. An executive overseeing many different areas within the auto industry, she brought her “unconventional by design” career to Fisker, where she’s helping to build a car company from the ground up. 

You have one of the biggest jobs at Fisker. Beyond the high level of responsibility, you simply have a lot to do every day! Was this something that attracted you to a small startup that’s trying to succeed in a complicated, global industry? 

I am an entrepreneur at heart. I love business, I love building things, and I have a passion for cars that is deeply rooted. My passion for cars started when I was young, and it centered around beautiful design. I also strongly believe in the vision of Fisker and how it takes these things that inspire me to the next level. How exciting is it to create an American car company from the ground up? 

We just took a big step, revealing the production-intent version of our Fisker Ocean SUV at the Los Angeles Auto Show. What was your reaction to that event? 

It made me feel great to see everything come together and to be able to share the beautiful Fisker Ocean with the world. This was an important milestone for the company, and it is bringing us another step closer to the launch.    

How would you describe your career, which included a long run at Toyota? 

I’ve been a leader in all the key areas of an auto company, including product development, marketing, vehicle distribution & logistics, sales, aftersales, and administration. But my career has been unconventional - by design. I’ve had many opportunities to continue along the safe, expected progression toward leadership roles, but I turned down many of them because I did not think they would stretch my professional growth. I’ve been deliberate in choosing opportunities that I knew would take me to something bigger. 

What brought you to Fisker?  

Henrik is a legendary designer, and I have always admired his work. When the opportunity arose, I met with Henrik and Geeta Gupta-Fisker, his wife and our co-founder. Their vision for the company was clear and bold with a unique business model and of course, our first vehicle, the beautiful Fisker Ocean.  

So it was an easy decision to join the company? 

After I spoke to Henrik and Geeta, I knew immediately that I wanted to be here. Fisker is a special company. It is not a traditional automaker. We have a blend of people from automotive, tech and innovative industries. Fisker combines my passion for cars and my entrepreneurial spirit. 

The auto industry is infamous, perhaps somewhat unfairly, for being a “boys club.” You have a track record of defying that – how does your experience inform how you’ve built your team at Fisker? 

My team knows that we are building something special at Fisker. I bring high achievers to my team who think unconventionally and are motivated to succeed. They also bring unique experience to the table. We are an incredibly innovative company – it is our DNA – and I want people who can continue to drive a culture of rapid innovation in everything we do. We move “Fisker Fast.”  

Did you benefit from strong family support or important mentors on your path to the top ranks of business leadership?  

I’ve always had the support and encouragement from my family. I didn’t have mentors, but I did look to exceptional leaders, mostly outside of the automotive industry, for inspiration in various aspects of leadership.    

Fisker is growing fast. What are some of the distinctive management opportunities and challenges that the company presents? 

I don’t see challenges, only opportunities. We are growing quickly, which means that we are not only planning, but doing. We hire people who are extremely talented and adept at doing both. The great thing about the speed at which we are growing as a company is that each day is exciting, with chances for collaborating across the company. We are building an American car company – not many people have had the opportunity to do this, and when we launch, we will be among the few who have been on the ground floor of something truly special.  

When you aren’t wearing one of your many Fisker hats, what do you like to do outside the office? 

I like to spend time with family. I enjoy travel, cooking, reading, working out and watching UFC. 

You know the auto industry inside and out, so how significant do you think the shift from internal combustion engines (ICE) to EVs is, and what do you think are Fisker’s key advantages, both as a carmaker and as a brand? 

We’re at a tipping point in the shift from ICE to EVs. It is permanently changing the landscape of the industry. Fisker has a huge advantage as it has no legacy with ICE vehicles. We are single-mindedly focused on EVs. There is no competition within the lineup with ICE vehicles and there is no issue with less service profit. We are an EV brand, not an ICE/EV brand. There are very few brands which are EV only brands. Additionally, Fisker does not have the legacy of existing automotive infrastructure. In other words, we do not have anything holding us back. We only have the certainty of opportunity and possibilities.  

How does an employee set themselves up to thrive at Fisker? 

To thrive at Fisker, you must have initiative, a commitment to excellence, and always be focused on delivering outstanding results. These are foundational to thriving at Fisker.     

Where do you see Fisker in five years? 

We will have a global footprint as we enter other markets and will have built strong awareness and sales in the countries we have entered. We will deliver an outstanding customer experience at all points throughout the customer journey. Fisker is a company where innovation is in everything we do. I strongly believe that the company has a great future ahead and that we will achieve everything we currently have planned – and more.