Join us as we take a peek behind the curtain and reveal the most intriguing stories of the talented individuals who make up the Driveline team and keep this company running.
Some say he’s a viral sensation, and that evading Police is his secret superpower. All we know is he’s called Santa.
Meet Paul Scotting, a Business Development Manager at Driveline. From chef to Belgian beer swiller to New Zealand’s top salesman at Mitsubishi, Paul Scotting’s story is a classic case of succeeding by embracing the virtues that make Kiwis so popular around the world.
Anglo-Irish-Kiwi comedian
Paul was born and raised in Auckland, the son of an English father and Irish mother. He’s known for his wacky sense of humour, often playing practical jokes on his friends and colleagues. Sometimes he takes things a bit too far and says he needs to learn when to dial things back a bit!
Rugby
Like most Kiwis, Paul started playing rugby as a school boy. As an adult he enjoyed playing weight-restricted rugby in the under 85kg competition. Two successive shoulder injuries, the first of which tore ligaments from the bone and required steel screws, put paid to his rugby career.
Chef
Paul started working as a kitchen hand straight out of school, then pursued a cooking qualification at university on his days off. After graduating as a qualified chef, he worked for various restaurants and caterers in Auckland before heading overseas to do his OE.
It was in London that he suffered his first shoulder injury while playing rugby.
Beer swilling in Belgium
Paul managed to marry his ancestry with his training when he became a chef at an Irish pub in Bruges, Belgium. While there he ate lots of Belgian chocolate, as you would, and sampled every beer he could.
Fun fact: Belgium is the only country in the world where they have tapped beer piped direct from the brewery to the pub through underground pipes, just like a water main!
Motor industry
Back in New Zealand, Paul decided to switch gears and pursue a career with less weekend work and less stress. He quickly found success in car sales, becoming the top sales person for Mitsubishi in New Zealand for six consecutive years.
His achievements even caught the attention of Osamu Masuko, the president of Mitsubishi Japan, whom he got to meet. This just goes to show that his sales skills are as sharp as a freshly-honed knife in the kitchen!
Paul then moved to Skoda, where he worked for three years, followed by a short stint at Nissan and then a move to Holden, which was cut short by General Motor’s decision to withdraw the Holden brand from the Australasian market.
That was fortunate for Driveline because without Holden’s demise we would probably not have been lucky enough to have Paul working with us.
Driveline
Paul works hybridly between Auckland and Morrinsville – the cream of the country, and says he is ready to “moo-ve” mountains and deliver value-for-money deals to his clients.
Paul Scotting, aka Santa
Known for his no-bull approach to getting things done, Paul works hard and delivers good, fair deals to all his clients. So much so that he’s known as “Santa”.
In the motor vehicle trade, if you do too many generous deals or give too much away, they mockingly call you Santa. Paul earned the nickname Santa at Mitsubishi and it didn’t take long before his Driveline colleagues did the same.
It’s an accurate reflection of his generosity and willingness to go the extra mile to ensure everyone gets a good, fair deal. That’s also why 80% of his business is from repeat customers and referrals.
If you would like to benefit from Santa’s largesse, give Paul Scotting a call on 021 195-8631 or email pauls@driveline.co.nz
Paul Scotting moves to the Waikato
Paul grew tired of being a slave to a big-city mortgage and decided a change of lifestyle and a change of pace was in order. He loves living in Morrinsville, which he describes as a small town with a big heart.
Paul feels very lucky that Driveline’s culture allows him to work hybridly, splitting his work week between Auckland and the Waikato.
Herd of Cows
Morrinsville famously features a herd of 60 life-size cow sculptures, all painted by artists and dotted around the main street, on street corners and in front of businesses and public buildings.
The cows have udderly puntastic names like Picowsso, Peek-a-Moo, Moo World Stampede, Accowtants, and Udderly HOT.
And then there’s Mabel the Mega Cow, a 6.5m tall bovine beauty that stands tall over Morrinsville’s main street and is described as a tribute to the dairy community and the mootastic culture that has grown up around it through the decades.
Morrinsville’s ‘Herd of Cows‘ is designed to showcase its growing arts culture and dairy farming heritage. Many of the cows have been sponsored by local businesses or are memorials to long standing Morrinsville families.
They are a source of great pride to locals and reflect Morrinsville’s claim as being “the Cream of the Country“.
Luck of the Irish
When visiting the boat show one year, Paul won the draw for a Viking kayak, which he put to great use fishing in the Waitemata harbour.
Two years later Paul once again entered Viking’s boat show competition and this time won a two-person kayak!
On the Sunday before Covid lockdown, Paul took a mate and son, who has cystic fibrosis, out fishing in the kayaks 800m off Tamaki Drive.
Paul caught a massive kingfish using a humble $100 rod and reel combo, proving that he believes in value over price. Who knew that a humble $100 rod and reel combo could land such fin-tastic results?
His mate’s son was even luckier though. After catching a ton of snapper, they sent a photo in to a fishing magazine that was running a take-a-kid-fishing competition and won an $8,000 boat and trailer combo! It’s a fishing trip the young boy will never forget.
Viral sensation
Towards the end of lockdown, Paul was once again out fishing in his kayak 800m off Tamaki Drive. He had researched a bunch of websites and found that kayaking was allowed, and fishing was allowed, so he came to the conclusion that fishing from a kayak must also be allowed.
Police had a different interpretation, deciding that fishing from a kayak that far from shore was not okay. They posted a video of Paul’s escapade on social media, which gained over 2 million views.
Final thoughts
Paul Scotting’s diverse experiences and talents have shaped him into a successful and well-rounded person. His journey from chef to top salesman at Mitsubishi and now a Business Development Manager at Driveline showcases his adaptability and determination.
Known for his generosity and humour, Paul has built a strong reputation in the industry, with a large portion of his business coming from repeat customers and referrals.
Embracing a flexible work-life balance and enjoying the small-town charm of Morrinsville, Paul continues to make a positive impact on those around him, both professionally and personally.
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