Exploring Black History Month: Employee Spotlight

Mustapha Sanneh

In honor of Black History Month, we spoke with Mustapha Sanneh, a Sales Manager at Walser Polar Chevrolet. In 2020, Sanneh served on a steering committee to advise on the creation of a race education platform at Walser called Mosaic.  Sanneh shared his perspective on Black History Month, leadership in the industry, and more.

What brought you to Walser? Tell us about your role at Walser Polar Chevrolet.
I took the position as a Customer Specialist position on a chance. I had just graduated from Minnesota State University Mankato in December and accepted the position in January. The main reason I preferred Walser over other dealers was the fact that it felt like a family company rather than an old school dealership. I went into the position confident because the training here is unmatched by any other sales company. I believed I could be successful with Walser and to this day I am.

I am currently a Sales Manager, going on to year two of this position. At Walser Polar Chevrolet, I lead a team of five individuals and strive to create future leaders for our company. I make sure my Customer Specialists hit their monthly goals and remain on top of their KPIs each time. It’s a big accomplishment to me when I see my team succeed.

Tell us about a moment in Black history that has influenced or shaped your career/life.
A moment in Black history that has a great influence in my life would have to be when Barack Obama was voted into office. For me, his presidency has helped me a lot in my life. Seeing another man be voted into a position that high that looks like me is a huge motivation. It shows me that I can do major influential moves that can inspire others like me too. During and even after his presidency he was still influential to me. I thank him for his class, integrity, and heart.

What’s your favorite mantra or quote?
“He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.” – Muhammad Ali

What advice do you have for people looking to advance their careers or become a leader?
If you are looking to be a leader, you must first ask yourself: How can you multiply more leaders? John Maxwell says, “Great leaders add value to those who can multiply value in others.” Anyone can be a manager. That’s just a position of authority, no real power. When you are a leader, you have the power to influence others to follow you. Be a leader at your current capacity, grow the individuals around you, and uplift them.

Mosaic: A Walser Education Platform
The 2020 death of Minneapolis-resident George Floyd opened the nation’s eyes to the profoud need for systemic change and education on race, racism, and how it can show up in the workplace and our day-to-day lives.  As a company and a leader in the automotive industry, Walser is committed to addressing the inequities and injustices that may exist within our industry and community.

Mosaic was created as a learning platform for Walser employees. In addition to the creation of a digital resource library on race equity and cultural understanding, Mosaic provides training on key diversity and inclusion topics, BIPOC employee spotlights and more.  Read more from Walser CEO Andrew Walser here.