Her Story
About Denise
Denise Rader serves as parts manager for Porsche Beverly Hills, overseeing parts sales, service department support, and a staff of 13 since assuming the role five years ago. She entered the automotive industry in 2010 and has built her expertise through hands-on experience rather than formal classes, including prior work running parts operations at a shop. Rader holds a bachelor's degree in psychology from California State University, Northridge, which she completed in 2008, and maintains certification as a Porsche brand ambassador. Her notable achievements include earning third place in the Top Drift Limited competition after a decade of competitive grassroots drifting in Southern California, where she became the first female to podium at a Just Drift event. She also received a plaque for her brand ambassador training and made the Dean's List several times during college. Outside of work, Rader volunteers with the food pantry at her son's school, St. Mark's. She attributes her success to her parents' encouragement and values strong work ethic, genuine helpfulness toward staff, and leading by example to make her family proud.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Denise
01What do you attribute your success to?
My parents have always pushed me to believe that I can do anything I put my mind to. They played a vital role in how I live my life, being organized and striving to do things myself and learn things myself. I always wanted to stand out and be something that my future kids would hopefully be proud of.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
My younger self would always say strive hard, reach for the stars, and always just do whatever you can to achieve that. But now that I'm older and a mother, I would say do what would make your family proud. I work hard not just to provide for my kids, but to show them how they should be.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
It's perfect for women because we are generally organized and like to oversee things. This role calls for someone who is very organized. We can utilize our being women to get our staff to listen to us. It's also rewarding knowing that you're in a male-dominated field and you're able to achieve this kind of role.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
It's a mostly male-dominated field. There's still a lot more that I am continuing to learn because automotive is constantly evolving with electric cars. That opens up more opportunities since the world is mostly technologically based, possibly operating in similar systems like electric planes.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I value good work ethic and being proud of your work for yourself, not just to impress your boss. I also value being a genuinely good person who helps others. I've had staff members that struggled and instead of reprimanding them, I pulled them aside to ask if everything is okay and how I can help. That makes me really proud of the relationships I've been able to have as a leader.
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