Colette Kirby is committed to advancing equality and diversity within not only Logicar, but the Australian Auto Aftermarket as a whole

A dynamic force in the industry, Colette Kirby is the Chief Executive Officer of burgeoning workshop equipment and service company Logicar, and also a board member of the Australian Auto Aftermarket Association (AAAA).
Colette was born in Footscray in Victoria to Irish and Egyptian parents who raised her in both South Africa and Australia.
“My mother was an artist who specialised in colorising black and white photos, and my father was a civil engineer,” Colette explains.
As a junior, she attended Sacred Heart Primary School in St Kilda and spent her teenage years in Seaford.
“It was during these years that I developed an awareness for equality and diversity,” Colette reflects.
“I developed career aspirations at university, leaving home as a young 18-year-old, learning the values of independence and self-sufficiency.
“I realised I wanted a career that aligned with my values, and which would nurture my desire to influence change.
“My career direction and personal growth since that time has landed me leadership positions in industries ranging from Hotels and Restaurants to Sustainable Energy Solutions and now the Automotive Aftermarket.
“Along the way, I am so grateful that I did not follow the career advice of bosses that focused on what I couldn’t do and what I couldn’t be, rather than what I could do and can continue to become.
“My advice to everyone is that you must stay true to you. Be congruent, find a mentor, and stay openminded in a variety of jobs and industries.
“Attitude is also so important. You can teach skill, and I do feel they almost align.
“Your attitude is the basis of how you behave, how you treat others, your inner motivations. It is an open behaviour mindset that can make or break a business. So, for me, attitude is always key.”
When asked if she was always into cars, Colette is emphatic in her response.
“Gosh, yes!” she enthused.
“I am going to thank my dad for that – during my time at home, Dad drove a 1964 Holden Special (EH) Sedan and I absolutely loved that car!
“Unfortunately, it was stolen, and I then loved his 1973 Chrysler VJ Valiant. I never got to cruise in a Ford; I’m a loyal Holden girl.”

Straight out of university, Colette landed her first full-time job as a Marketing and Sales Supervisor at a Five-Star Melbourne Hotel and took the first steps in what has become a very successful career.
“At the Hotel location I progressed and was offered a chance to move to Queensland to manage the company’s new investment showpiece on the Gold Coast,” she explains.
“After two years, love provided the opportunity to move to Ohio in the USA and ultimately New York State, where I worked in operations and finance roles and opened my own business, a fine dining restaurant in Rochester NY, serving some of America’s affluent patrons.
“While there I experienced business ownership during the 9/11 attacks which placed sadness, strain and uncertainty on so many and a unique set of business challenges.”
After 12 years of working and raising three lovable rugrats in the USA, a move back home beckoned.
“Through my well-kept Aussie network, a senior operations role in the Sustainable Energy Solutions industry prevailed, before I later moved into the Automotive Aftermarket where I have stayed for the last eight years,” she said.
Thanks to her emotional intelligence and skills as an active listener and team motivator, Colette has time and time again improved workplace performance in her various leadership roles, focusing on setting clear goals and objectives, identifying strengths and weaknesses and monitoring and supporting team performances – and this is no more true than in her role as Chief Executive Officer for Logicar.
“Logicar started more than 25 years ago with its initial focus on ECU repairs and training and has since developed a national footprint and expanded into specialist AE parts and workshop equipment by combining individual business in each state under one brand,” Colette explains.
“After a mixture of ownership interests, including a short stint by CoolDrive which it sold in early 2019, the Company’s independent ownership has remained, and we have settled on a specialist focus on Automotive Workshop Equipment and Servicing.”
Today Logicar offers diagnostic/scan tools, EV diagnostics, ADAS equipment, hoists, scissor lifts, truck column lifts, tyre changers, wheel balancers, wheel aligners, and servicing.
“We are an old-fashioned specialist supplier with expertise in what has become a market dominated by large corporate competitors,” Colette said.
“Currently our customer base ranges across Australia, Papua New Guinea, and Fiji, and we service customers from large corporates to one-person workshops.
“Every year we see growth and positive customer feedback and are praised for our super after sales support – this area, after sales service and the ‘care factor,’ is certainly one that sets us apart and ensures the best product and business outcome for our customers.
“We don’t just sell product; we sell ideas to support customers, and that offers the potential to open new revenue streams.
“We are also proud to align ourselves with quality, reputable manufacturers and have an equal share of male and female employees.”
When it comes to Logicar’s competitive advantage, Colette says the answer is simple: “The people at Logicar. The Team.”
“We are very proud of the above and beyond mentality, paying attention to each member of our team…they matter, their professional growth matters, their families, their mental health, it all matters, and it is contagious when leaders show care and all that shows when interacting with our customers. We also make time to laugh.”

These people are a key part of Colette’s growth goals for Logicar.
“We want to grow, as a business and as a group of people working in our business, so we have a personal and business growth mindset,” she said.
“We also want to constantly update our product range, so we are offering the Australian market quality equipment solutions.
“At the same time, we want our business lives and that of our customers to be fun, enjoyable and profitable.”
Logicar has been a member of the Australian Auto Aftermarket Association for some time.
“We love the AAAA and always have,” she said.
“For us, understanding the compliance and legalities of our industry by leaning on the support of the AAAA Legal and HR departments has been terrific.
“We enjoy the networking events, finding them informative, and it is terrific to catch up and meet the new businesses and old friends in our industry.
“As an SME business, the AAAA provides us with an industry wide focus, voice and understanding of the big industry and economic impacts the big picture has on our enterprise.”
In fact, Colette is such a proponent of the AAAA, she was pleased to join its Board of Directors in 2022.
“I am enjoying representing the SME perspective on the Board and looking after that sector around the table,” Colette said.
“The passion and attention each board member holds in the interest of the members is outstanding. I am also impressed with how much work the AAAA does and how well their team exercises projects.
“I have been pleased as well to see the board shaping with social and professional diversity – we all derive from different perspectives and strengths which supports meaningful decisions.”
Away from the workplace, Colette enjoys soccer, yoga, exploring opportunities for learning, and when she can make the time, attending the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. And of course, spending time with her family.
“My family are incredible, supportive, kind and have selective eyesight when there are dishes in the sink,” Colette laughs.
“I am married to a Chef and yes, he cooks at home. We have three children, two boys aged 24 and 23 and a 20 year old daughter.
“We also have my 90-year-old Mum and a Dalmatian-Rottweiler dog who is consistently pleased to see me!”

To learn more about Logicar, visit www.logicar.com.au