2024 Legacy of Disruption Winner
Tom Doll, Former CEO of Subaru of America
Tom Doll changed the way Subaru operates. During a 40-year tenure at the automaker, he worked to develop some of the best-known vehicles and marketing campaigns in the automotive world. His hands helped to mold Subaru into the quirky, inclusive brand it is today. But, his legacy is even larger.
Doll touched the lives of Subaru employees, past and present, showing grace, confidence, compassion and appreciation in ways that elicit respect and changed the way the CEO role is viewed in the workplace.
"We pride ourselves in welcoming open and honest discussion without fear of reprisal in all parts of our business. That could be between departments, between leadership and their teams, or between Subaru of America and our retailers. We have built an environment of trust where opposing viewpoints and alternative ideas are welcome," Doll told Newsweek.
"I tried to create something like 'a living room' where that open and honest discussion could happen because I believe ideas that move our company forward are found by listening to all viewpoints."
Doll began his tenure at Subaru in 1982, serving in positions across the company including director and manager of treasury operations, vice president of business and strategic planning, chief financial officer, chief operating officer and president before being promoted to CEO by Subaru of America's parent company Subaru Corporation in 2018.
In 2008, almost all automotive manufacturers were using high incentives and big discounts at the end of the year to entice buyers. Doll and Subaru decided to donate $250 to the customer's choice of charities. This was the start of an effort to stop selling cars based just on price.
"Through market research we discovered our customers frequently used the word 'love' when talking about their Subaru. We also learned about their active lifestyles, their love for pets and how they wanted to help make the world a better place," said Doll.
"This all played into the idea that launched the Love campaign and our Share the Love Event in December 2008. It was initially controversial with our parent company and with our retailers, but after a couple of years both campaigns began to resonate with customers in a way that truly differentiated Subaru from the competition."
The marketing effort doubles as a charity operation each year from mid-November to January. Subaru still donates $250 per vehicle purchased to one charity of the buyer's choice.
Because of these efforts, Subaru is the largest corporate donor to the National Park Service and ASPCA, and the largest automotive industry donor to Meals on Wheels and Make-A-Wish.
Doll said that people at Subaru feel like they're part of something bigger, helping out their customers and communities. He tried to make it about more than just selling or servicing a car. "There are 32 manufacturers out there, with more on the way, that want to sell somebody a car," he said.
Because of Share the Love and heartfelt, safety-centric advertising campaigns (including those featuring the Barkleys, a family of retrievers), the Japanese automaker is one of the most respected and loved brands on the planet, regularly topping larger and wider-reaching brands, according to research by Consumer Reports.
When Doll started his work at Subaru of America, the company was not in the successful position it is today. "I believe that our Japanese executives allowed me free rein to experiment because things were so bad in the U.S. market. If times were good, I doubt we would have been able to implement many of the things we did," said Doll.
Subaru was historically a price- and incentive-based sales company. Doll changed that. He put equal emphasis on the marketing of the brand and the product and on selling it. Doll helped provide the runway that was needed to allow the Subaru brand to be developed over time.
"Tom wanted to replace the traditional negative stereotype of car dealers with something that was much better for the customer experience. He did not like the idea of 'dealing' (arguing over price) so he started referring to Subaru dealers as retailers," Alan Bethke, senior vice president of marketing, Subaru of America told Newsweek.
"He was a strong advocate of creating partnerships between Subaru and our franchise retailers. Many automotive brands have adversarial relationships with their franchise dealers. Tom wanted the opposite."
Jeff Williams, owner of Williams Subaru and chairman of the Subaru National Retailer Advisory Board told Newsweek that Doll had enthusiasm and vision, which he openly shared with Subaru retailers. He always made himself accessible and would always take your call.
"Tom wasn't Superman, he was Clark Kent—a mild-mannered, unassuming leader who helped define our brand with one word: love. And through that, he led us on a journey to discover passion and purpose in our day-to-day retail operations. Tom helped us truly make a difference in the lives of our customers and our communities," Burton Hughes, general manager at Subaru of Las Vegas told Newsweek.
Now retired, Doll's next planned disruption is in his kitchen, which is in for a much-needed overhaul, he told Newsweek. So is his golf game. Doll is also planning his first extended vacation since his honeymoon.
"As I reflect on my years at Subaru, I am extremely grateful for all the great people I have met along the way. There were my fellow colleagues, our retailers, our vendor partners, as well as industry people. At its core, our business, like any business, is all about people. It's the people I've been honored to work with over the years who have helped to execute the strategies we have put into place," he said.
How We Did It
To determine the candidates for this year's World's Greatest Auto Disruptors, Newsweek's Autos team, led by Senior Autos Editor Eileen Falkenberg-Hull, compiled a list considering every major automaker in each of the award categories. Brands, teams and individuals were nominated based on their cumulative merits for the past year, after combing through each candidate's accomplishments in the areas of future product planning, business strategy, technology, marketing, engineering, sustainability, manufacturing and research and development. To be considered, candidates had to be employing executive decision-making, corporate strategy, product development and publicity in a way that is driving fundamental, transformative change in the automotive market, with measurable real-world results—or have clear and demonstrable potential to do so. The Legacy award honors an individual who has achieved these results over decades in the industry. The list of nominees was narrowed by Autos editors, including Jake Lingeman. Winners were chosen after a consensus was reached amongst the Autos team and Newsweek top editors.
