Isuzu has announced its 2025 National Champion Sales Consultant of the year, praising the winner’s persistence, professionalism and an unwavering commitment to customer service.
The company says that all of those qualities propelled Richard Pineros from its Wodonga dealer Blacklocks Isuzu, to the top of the company’s prestigious Team Elite program.
Pineros is also based in the Murray River border town of Wodonga and was proud to win the major accolade, which is part of Isuzu’s Team Elite program which has recognised and rewarded excellence across the brand’s national Dealer Network for more than 25 years.
Isuzu says its Team Elite program highlights the outstanding calibre of sales, service and parts professionals representing its customers throughout Australia.
The company says that the National Champion component of its Team Elite program saw three finalists tested across a broad range of disciplines including product knowledge, sales capability, customer service and business support.
Alongside Pineros, this year’s finalists also included Ben Deane from Dwyers Truck Centre in Wollongong and Jacque Semerjian from Patterson Cheney Isuzu in Melbourne.
Isuzu claims its Team Elite program remains one of Australia’s longest established and respected customer excellence assessments.
For Pineros, the prestigious national title marks the culmination of close to a decade of dedication and steady progression and development through the competition ranks.
“It’s amazing,” he said.
“To be honest with you, it’s something I’ve been working hard for over the past 10 years, and winning this award is not just a 
feeling of achievement and pride, but also a feeling of relief in a sense,” he added.
“I work hard to provide solutions for my customers, and I’ve really focussed on delivering the best customer service possible and this is paramount to me.”
Head of sales at Isuzu Australia, Craig White, said the Team Elite program continued to play a critical role in developing high-performing dealership professionals across the Isuzu network.
“The Team Elite program reflects Isuzu’s ongoing commitment to excellence across every aspect of the customer experience,” said White.
“Our Dealer Network is one of the great strengths of the Isuzu brand and people like Richard embody the professionalism, product knowledge and customer-first attitude that Australian truck buyers value so highly.
“Richard has consistently featured amongst our top three salespeople for several years now and has demonstrated exceptional consistency throughout the competition process,” he said.
“This is no small feat considering Isuzu Trucks has been the number one selling brand in the Australian truck market for 37 consecutive years.
“To be crowned the ‘best of the best’ in such a competitive environment is really something to savour.”
A highly competitive national program, Team Elite National Champion event challenges participants across multiple areas of technical and practical knowledge, rewarding individuals who consistently demonstrate the highest standards of sales and customer engagement.
For Pineros, competing against previous finalists and experienced sales professionals only strengthened his determination to improve year after year.
“Competing against seasoned sales professionals such as Shane Hilder from Webster Trucks and Josh Tuddenham from Westar Trucks over the past few years…it’s all about learning from my mistakes and watching what they’ve done well and seeing how I can apply it myself,” he explained.
“I always ask myself, ‘What can I improve year on year?
Pineros said the strong culture within the broader dealer group had played a major role in his development and success.
“Through our dealer principal, Michael Dixon, they’ve always offered every support and I feel thankful for having that,” he said.
“Michael is always encouraging us and helping us improve our day-to-day here at the dealership and there’s been a wealth of experience that I’ve been able to tap into since day one.”
Beyond the award itself, Pineros said his journey into the Australian truck industry carried personal significance.
Having arrived in Australia from Colombia in 2007 with limited English and no prior industry experience, Pineros credits hard work, continuous learning and surrounding himself with the right people as key drivers behind his success.
“I started in the industry with no experience at all,” he said.
“It’s about always excelling in everything you do and learning from the people around you.
“I came to the country in 2007 with zero English, but the beauty about Australia is, if you work hard, there’ll be a reward. I genuinely believe that.”
White said stories such as Pineros’ highlighted the broader value of the Team Elite program and the culture underpinning the Isuzu Dealer Network nationally.
“Richard’s story is a fantastic example of what dedication, professionalism and customer focus can achieve,” said White.
“Programs like Team Elite are about recognising excellence, but they’re also about fostering a culture of continual improvement and creating better outcomes for businesses across the country.
“We congratulate Richard on a thoroughly deserved result.”
