Logged In With… Ashley Moon of Car Arena

ASHLEY Moon is a director of Hull-based car comparison site Car Arena.

Car Arena is a new online service, allowing consumers to enter their car details for free to attract buyers from across the UK

VAT registered main dealers and motor traders can also enter the market and buy cars directly from the public. The new scheme offers dealers the opportunity to sign up for free in order to access an alternative stock stream.

What are your career highlights?

Managing the Dettol global redesign and looking after clients such as AkzoNobel and Ronseal – working with these huge clients gave me great insight into the in depth strategy and marketing it takes to build and maintain such brand presence.

What’s on your iPod?

My phone doubles as my Ipod, but I’ve just a few songs I can jog to on it. It’s Ronnie O’Sullivan’s snooker game and the football league app that get the most attention!

What has been your favourite/worst job?

My favourite is definitely the one I have now, driving forward a new venture and watching it build in popularity is extremely rewarding.

The worst was a paper round, aged 9. I literally dreaded supplement days when my two bags were even heavier, laden with the motor mail or property guide. I made for a sorry site trying to balance with two bags on my bike, wobbling down the road.

Who is your ideal dinner guest and why?

Alan Sugar – as a businessman I’d love to pick his brains.

What is your pet peeve both in and out of work?

A lack of strategic thinking at work (not in my present role) and noisy eating outside of work.

Who has had the biggest influence on your career?

Ian Lemon, managing director of Springfield Solutions. A great, honest guy with the best interests of his customers, employees and business at the heart of all he does.

What do you enjoy most and least about your role?

I enjoy being involved in a business start-up, building strategy and making decisions that in turn see it grow. As the website is very complex and changing constantly as we respond to feedback from users, occasional errors do occur which we have to ensure are fixed quickly.

What are the biggest barriers to your organisation’s success?

Trying to explain that there really aren’t any negatives to the service and simply get car traders to use the portal regularly. There’s an element of distrust in some aspects of the automotive industry and trying to dispel this takes some doing.

What would make Yorkshire an even better place to live and work?

Changing the perception of Hull and the East Ridings. Having lived and worked here my whole life the people are some of the most hard working and loyal businessmen I’ve met.

There’s still unfounded negativity around the area despite the fact many businesses are choosing it as their central base.

If you weren’t doing what you’re doing now, what alternative career would you choose and why?

The boyhood dream of being a jet fighter pilot – or anything to do with adrenaline or flying.