Tom O’Neil got his start selling cars in college. He attended Xavier University in Cincinnati, and earned a degree in economics. Shortly after being recognized as Car salesman of the month, he was moved into the F&I office. Then, upon graduating from college, he started selling F&I products door-to-door.
As founder of O’Neil Financial Services Agency, Inc., an industry leader in automotive F&I products and training, O’Neil says his original mission was to just make a living. “I had a beautiful wife and three kids. My goal was just to provide for my family. As time went on, I realized I had accomplished that - surviving and making a living. I decided that what we needed to do - and what I really enjoyed doing - was making the car business a better place.”
Since then, O’Neil affirms that mission of working to make the auto industry a better place every Wednesday morning at their team meeting. “We work to improve the car business in two ways. By helping everyone make more money and helping them feel better about it and keep it, by doing it in a compliant way.” In 2013, O’Neil merged his business with his first boss and life long friend Rick Roesel of Agency Services to combine their industry leadership under new owners, Brown & Brown, Inc., the nations 7th largest insurance intermediary.
While his career was in full swing, O’Neil returned to school, earning a MBA from Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. He excelled in school and became a member of the National Economics Honor Society and the National MBA Honor Society. Education and personal development are what O’Neil describes as the key to success and he strives to integrate these ideals into every aspect of business.
The aspect he likes least about the industry is the way it does not take itself seriously enough. “There are enormous undeveloped opportunities every day if you are looking for them. If people were to take the auto industry as a career, as seriously as they do careers in other industries and really develop themselves personally, professionally and educationally, the opportunities would be unlimited. It doesn’t matter whether it’s income, compliance, selling, or technology – every area of the business has enormous untapped potential.”
O’Neil credits his family as being the stabilizing force and primary driver of his ambitions. He has been married 25 years and has three children ages 23, 21 and 19. He has “done everything I could possibly think of to enjoy God’s green earth” and is always looking for new fun things to do, both personally and with his family. There is never a dull moment with a list of hobbies that include snow skiing, scuba diving, racecar driving, elk hunting and dog sledding.
Giving back is also high on O’Neil’s to do list. As president of the Society of St. Vincent DePaul, an almost 200-year-old Catholic charity organization, he received a SERTOMA Award recognizing his years of community service. He says this caused his children to see a whole other side of life – emphasizing his beliefs that “you had better give back some of what you are getting because what goes around comes around.” O’Neil was inspired by his father, a college professor who also served as president of the Society of St. Vincent DePaul for most of his adult life.
Advice for Future Generations
So what advice would O’Neil give to someone just beginning his or her career and considering getting into the car business?
“Treat it as you would the most wonderful and rewarding opportunity you could ever find. Embrace it, educate yourself and immerse yourself completely in it. Don’t buy the standard industry BS, excuses and attitude and the opportunities will be incredible.”
