Snows rising star enjoys a special day out to recognise his achievements

Louis Gaskin, 21, an apprentice technician at Snows Peugeot, Portsmouth, was chosen as a finalist in the first ever ‘Stars of Stellantis’ national recognition programme.

Stellantis, the parent company of Peugeot, is also well-known for famous automotive brands such as Alfa Romeo, Citroen, Fiat and Vauxhall.

In February, the firm launched a new reward and recognition programme in the UK. Designed exclusively for aftersales personnel, Stars of Stellantis celebrates exceptional skills and the positive impacts made on customers’ experiences.

Service advisors, warranty administrators, technicians and service managers were invited to enter – with more than 1,400 people doing just that. After a series of elimination stages, just 20 candidates in six categories competed to become one of the first new ‘Stars’.

Louis, who lives in Hilsea, was delighted to have made the cut in the apprentice technician category and was invited to the final selection event at the Stellantis Academy in Coventry. The busy day of skills tests and assessments was followed by a celebration dinner, a performance by comedian Russell Kane, and the presentation of the awards.

Although he didn’t quite clinch a place in the top three, Louis and his colleagues were delighted he made the top 20 – an impressive achievement in itself.

Louis has worked at Snows Peugeot in Walton Road, Portsmouth for just eight months but has quickly become a valued member of the workshop team there. A big Portsmouth FC fan, he attends as many games as he can and is also a keen hockey player in his spare time.

Currently working towards becoming a fully-fledged technician, he’s aiming to kick on once he qualifies, and become a master technician. His boss, Steven Mulvoy, Aftersales Manager at the dealership, certainly thinks it’s an achieveable aim.

‘‘We’re extremely lucky to have Louis on board,’’ he said. ‘‘After only a few months, he’s showing incredible promise and he’s certainly capable of enjoying a long and successful career here.

‘‘A lot of workshops and garages find that talented technicians are hard to come by, so to have recruited someone like Louis is wonderful for us. He’s an extremely quick learner and is showing plenty of potential.’’

Louis said: ‘‘I have really enjoyed my career so far with Snows Peugeot Portsmouth. I have family connections to the company as my brother works at Snows’ BMW dealership in the city – and that was definitely a factor in my applying to join the firm.

‘‘The Stars of Stellantis day was a fantastic experience and it was great to meet colleagues from other Snows dealerships who had qualified, as well as aftersales people from all over the UK. I certainly hope I’ll be invited next year!’’