2008 Faculty List
Vice President of Sales, CNA National Warranty Corporation
Sharron Anania has an extensive background in the automotive industry, including three years of retail experience as a finance director at a Chrysler dealership. Over the years she has worked for national F&I providers and a general agency with duties that included training field staff, income-development training at dealerships and compliance training. Sharron is AFIP-certified and holds a property & casualty insurance license. Currently she serves as vice president of sales for CNA National Warranty Corporation.
Executive Editor, F&I Management and Technology
Gregory Arroyo serves as executive editor for F&I Management and Technology magazine. Greg's eight-year career as a journalist also includes a three-year stint with Mobile Electronics magazine, another Bobit Business Media publication covering the mobile electronics aftermarket. He also served as a reporter for the Los Angeles Times, and was part of the inaugural team that launched the newspaper's community newspaper program in Los Angeles. Mr. Arroyo has also served as a publicist and marketer for several consumer electronics companies, and helped lead two consumer-awareness campaigns for the Consumer Electronics Association's Mobile Electronics Division. He can be reached at gregory.arroyo@bobit.com.
Senior Vice President & General Manager, Assurant Solutions
Jimmy Atkinson is Senior Vice President and General Manager for Vehicle Service Contracts at Assurant Solutions, an industry leader in service contracts, F&I products and training that specializes in sales, leadership and Finance & Insurance. Jimmy has been a featured speaker at the NADA convention eight times in 1997, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007. He has also spoken at RVDA, the Finance and Insurance Conference and Expo and various State and Local conventions. Jimmy has been in the automobile business since 1983 and has been training and developing salespeople and managers since 1990. His background includes being a successful Salesperson, F & I Manager and Sales Manager. He has written and developed training programs for all aspects of the dealership variable operation.
National Sales Manager, Premier Dealer Services
Mark Baker, a national sales manager, started his career with a credit insurance provider in Michigan back in 1977. He has held increasingly responsible positions which included service representative, sales and service, account executive and divisional manager while expanding business throughout the Midwest. Mark then spent a year in retail before being recruited back into this industry with a national provider. As his career progressed, he held national sales responsibilities for publicly held dealerships and top 100 retailers creating private label plans and programs.
Upon joining Premier Dealer Services in August 2004, Mark was charged with creating a superior national sales team and developing the support mechanisms needed to fuel long term growth in an ever-evolving marketplace. In the last four years under Mark's leadership, Premier has established a national presence and increased sales production substantially, year over year, in a challenging auto sales environment.
Co-CEO, MenuVantage
Phil Battista currently serves as co-CEO of MenuVantage, the market's premier web-based menu selling system. With over two decades in the automotive industry, Phil has experienced success as both a dealer and as an automotive software professional. After leaving the dealer world Phil formed Superior Programming, a custom programming company focused on Dealer Management Systems. There he developed what has become the industry's leading interface technology. Upon its Acquisition by LeaseLink in 2000, Phil assumed the position of Chief Operating Officer. Under his tenure and until his departure in 2004, LeaseLink experienced record growth. Besides serving as Co-CEO for MenuVantage, Phil also currently serves as President of Superior Integrated Solutions; the sister company of MenuVantage responsible for all DMS related programming and interfaces.
Consulting Associate, gvo3 & Associates
Penelope Bell is a consulting associate of gvo3 & Associates. In addition to her consulting duties, Penelope is responsible for the gvo3 marketing initiatives. Penelope joined gvo3 & Associates following a successful career as a senior research consultant at LexisNexis in Dayton, Ohio. As a senior research consultant, Penelope was responsible for assisting LexisNexis subscribers with their news, financial and public records research needs, mentoring peers, training implementation, and quality control. With the research and training experience, Penelope gained knowledge of some of the important rules and regulations that surround the auto industry. Her knowledge has helped in the development of the compliance programs offered by gvo3 & Associates. Penelope received her undergraduate degree in Marketing from the University of Dayton.
President, National Auto Care Corporation
Peter Biscardi has been involved in the automobile industry since the early seventies. His experience runs the gamut from retail and wholesale to leasing and rental and fleet administration, working primarily in the Northeast.
In 1973, Pete was instrumental in opening the first retail sales operation for the Hertz Corporation, consequently serving in various management positions within the automobile industry.
After a number of years, he began thinking about striking out on his own and, in 1982 he formed P&L Enterprises, an independent agency specializing in the marketing of vehicle service contracts to automobile dealerships. It was his success in this field that brought him to the attention of one of the largest vehicle service contract administrators in the country, based in San Diego, CA, and in 1986 he joined that company as its Northeast Regional Manager, setting a number of production records for that region. In 1990, he joined NAC as the Executive Vice President and in August 2003, Pete was named President of NAC. Under his continued leadership, National Auto Care maintains its reputation as a competitive force in the service contract industry.
President and CEO, Toyota Financial Services
George Borst is President and Chief Executive Officer of Toyota Financial Services (TFS), overseeing all operational and financial activities in the Americas region.
Borst began his career with Toyota in 1985 as Corporate Marketing Manager. Since then, he has held a number of management positions at Toyota Motor Sales, Inc., including Group Vice President and General Manager of the Lexus Division and Group Vice President, Corporate Strategy and Planning. Most recently, Borst served as Senior Vice President of Toyota Financial Services.
Prior to joining Toyota, Borst had a 15-year career with the Chevrolet Division of General Motors in various management positions.
Born in Hollis, N.Y., Borst earned a Bachelor of Science degree in economics from Mount St. Mary's College in Emmitsburg, Md., and a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Nebraska.
President and Founder, Chernek Consulting Incorporated
Becky Chernek, president and founder of Chernek Consulting Incorporated, was first exposed to car sales while helping her father run their family owned Cadillac and Pontiac dealerships in Maryland. Since then, she has enjoyed an exemplary sales career spanning almost two decades, and experienced every aspect of the car sales process, including: sales manager, general sales manager, and district sales manager. She is AFIP certified and has worked with many industry leaders, including JM&A and AutoNation. For the past seven years, Becky has devoted her energy to helping others achieve sales excellence. She has helped hundreds of car, RV and marine dealerships throughout the United States and Canada refine the sales process and increase their profits. "Learning Has Never Been This Much Fun" has become her trademark slogan, and she has earned a laudatory reputation for her rapid-paced, high-energy, action-packed teaching style. Her unique workshop methods offer a refreshing way for attendees to learn the subject matter and have proven to be more retention effective over methods found in more traditional seminars. This same style is incorporated into her personal in-store consultations, for a more one-on-one learning experience.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, The Warranty Group, and Chairman, Resource Automotive
David L. Cole is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Warranty Group and Chairman of Resource Automotive. He is responsible for The Warranty Group's business worldwide, including TWG Home Warranty Services, Inc., TWG Innovative Solutions and Resource Automotive, as well as The Warranty Group's domestic and international underwriting arms, Virginia Surety Company, Inc. (VSC) and London General Insurance (LGI). David is a 1972 graduate of the University of North Carolina and has over 30 years of insurance industry experience. In 1994, Aon Warranty Group was formed to continue to develop and take advantage of Aon's premier position in the consumer extended warranty business on a global basis. As chairman of The Warranty Group, David oversees the company's expansion into new foreign markets. Under David's leadership, The Warranty Group's property and casualty underwriting companies and consumer extended warranty/customer care operations continue to strengthen their industry leadership position while providing creative and innovative solutions to client needs.
National Finance & Insurance Executive, Zurich
Dick Costello is a national finance and insurance executive for Zurich's Direct Underwriters business unit. He joined the company in 1990 and has more than 30 years experience in the automotive industry. Certified by the Association of F&I Professionals, Dick is responsible for creating Zurich marketing and service modules, conducting training for the company's national sales force and performing regional brand development reviews to ensure consistent field application. In addition, he authored Zurich's Compliance Action Plan (CAP) initiative. This program provides information, education and resources to dealers about their responsibilities under the Privacy and Safeguards Rules of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act to establish and maintain a written information security program to protect consumer information. Dick has taught dealer candidates at NADA Dealer Academy and conducted training for more than 1,000 F&I professionals nationally and internationally. He is certified to deliver the Situational Leadership II training program.
General Manger and Partner, Peroria KIA
Michael Crawford is a leader in his profession and in the automotive industry. Having worked for Peer Group an Automotive Consulting firm he traveled around the country assisting dealers of various brands both domestic and imports, improving their bottom line. As general manager and partner, Michael owns 20 percent of Peoria KIA, a store located in Peoria, Ariz. away from dealer row and developed it into the number one KIA dealership in the country five years consecutively maintaining presidents club status at the same time. Currently Michael is in the process of acquiring Avondale KIA - Subaru soon to be named Michael Crawford KIA – Subaru. He is also a consultant to many dealerships in the local area at this time during the economic down turn and showing them how to produce and retain profits. REMEMBER:
"MICHAEL CRAWFORD WANTS TO SEE YA IN A KIA"
National Sales Manager, National Auto Care
In Jim Devitt's position of national sales manager, he is responsible for the overall success of NAC's agency network as well as diligently seeking additional representation for NAC in various territories throughout the country. Jim began as the national training specialist for a service contract administrator in 2000, bringing invaluable dealership experience to their training division. Subsequently Jim became the vice president of training and development. During Jim's tenure with that administrator, he worked closely with agencies and dealers throughout the country. He has been a contributor to F&I Management & Technology's web site and magazine as well as several other industry publications.
Regional Manging Director - West, GMAC Insurance
Eric Dragoo joined GMAC Insurance in 2007 as the Western Regional Managing Director. In his current role, he is responsible for managing an F&I sales team of 40 people covering 11 states. Eric earned his bachelor’s degree in economics from Kansas State University in 1995. He has also earned his AFIP certification and has over 13 years of experience in the automotive finance industry.
Vice President, Marketing and Product Development, Dealer Products & Services, GMAC Insurance Holdings
Dennis Doyle has served as vice president of marketing and product development of GMAC Insurance Holdings' Dealer Product & Services (DP&S) group since 2007. Throughout his 20-year career in the automotive industry, Dennis has lead a number of customer service and dealer relations initiatives, including field and marketing sales positions where he worked with franchised dealerships to improve all aspects of their operations, including F&I product promotion and sales. Dennis earned his bachelor's degree in business administration from Central Michigan University in 1988 and a Master of Science in business administration from Madonna University in 2007. In 2006, he completed the Marketing Leadership Lecture Series for Ford Motor Company at Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management. Doyle also is a certified project management professional from the Project Management Institute, and received Six Sigma Greenbelt certification from Ford in 2003.
Senior Vice President of Sales
Safe-Guard Products International, LLC
Dave Duncan has three decades of F&I experience at both the dealership level and in the ancillary products arena. As an executive with one of the nation's leading F&I product providers, Dave has had a front-row seat to the dramatic transitions that have taken place in F&I and has played a contributing role in the introduction of many of the products now core to F&I offices throughout our industry. His approach offers a balance of dynamic sales and marketing techniques along with responsible risk management.
Instrumental in growing the OEM, general agent and national account business for Safe-Guard Products, headquartered in Atlanta, Dave manages the deployment of turn-key programs for F&I business units. A guest speaker at numerous industry events, Dave believes in providing not only excellent F&I products, but also the best training and compliant processes needed to grow F&I profits. Prior to joining the Safe-Guard team, Dave was President & CEO of Diversified Automotive Group, a national general agency. Dave has received numerous accreditations focused on automotive, finance and business management, including AFIP Certification.
President/CEO of First Innovations, Inc. and First Guard Warranty Coporation
Mike Edwards, president/CEO if First Innovations, Inc. and First Guard Warranty Corporation, has over 36 years of experience in the automobile industry. He was vice president of operations for his family's Ford dealership in the Dallas area for almost ten years. He developed, wrote and provided training for all the training programs for the Texas Automobile Dealer Association's only endorsed sales training company at the time. He was vice president of marketing and executive vice president for the largest credit insurance and independent vehicle service contract producing company in Texas and New Mexico for over seven years before forming his own automotive service organization in 1999. He has a Certified Automotive Merchandising Degree from Northwood University (Institute), a Bachelor's Degree form the University of Texas, Arlington, and graduate work toward a Master's Degree in Mid-Management from the University of Houston, Clear Lake.
Finance Director, Langdale Ford
Marv Eleazer is the finance director of Langdale Ford Co in Valdosta, GA having been employed there since 1999. His background in the automobile business began in 1979 as a salesperson and progressed into a variety of responsibilities including all phases of front end management. He has been a finance manager for the last 19 years of his career with full intention of remaining in this most challenging and rewarding position. As a professional working at the dealer level he brings a real time perspective of the challenges the job demands. He and his wife LoriJo spend their spare time traveling and gardening. He can be reached by email at fordpantera@yahoo.com
Director of Performance Development Center JM&A Group
Bruce Foster is JM&A Group's Director of the Performance Development Center (PDC). Mr. Foster's group trains dealership personnel in sales, sales management, fixed operations, finance and insurance, used vehicle sales, and used vehicle reconditioning. In 2007, the Performance Development Center trained over 7,500 dealership associates. Beginning in the automotive industry in 1984, Mr. Foster's experience spans over 20 years. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Marketing from the University of Central Florida and an MBA from the same institution. His authoring credits include Market Oriented Pricing (Josey, Bass Publishing, 1990) and industry-related articles in Sales and Marketing Management and Selling Power magazines. Mr. Foster's membership associations include Pi Sigma Epsilon, American Society of Training and Development, Toast Masters USA, Sales and Marketing Association, and the National Association of Selling Professionals.
Senior Vice President, Universal Warranty Corporation
Doug Frey joined GMAC Insurance in 1988 after receiving his B.A. from Albion College in Michigan and earning his CPA. During this time at GMAC Insurance, Doug held a number of duties, including financial, pricing, marketing and product developemnt. While he was working at GMAC Insurance, he received his MBA from the University of Michigan. In 2000, Doug moved to his current position of senior vice president with Universal Warranty Corporation, coming over from GMAC Insurance. The departments that fall under Doug's responsibility are financial, product development, risk management, commissions, reporting, private label, national accounts and call center sales activities. Doug is married with two children and enjoys coaching in his free time.
President, Mosaic Interactive, LLC
Jim Ganther is the co-founder and president of Mosaic Interactive, LLC, a developer of web-based legal compliance programs for automobile, motorcycle and RV dealers. He is a member of the National Association of Dealer Counsel, and was honored as a member of F&I Management and Technology Magazine's "Who's Who in F&I". He is widely published on legal compliance topics and is a frequent speaker to the automobile industry. Mr. Ganther received his undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame, and his law degree from the University of Notre Dame Law School.
Income Development/Training Manager, Central US, GMAC
Matt Hash has served as manager of Income Development Training for GMAC Insurance Holdings’ Dealer Product & Services (DP&S) group since June 2007. In this position, he is responsible for design, development and delivery of income development training to GMAC Insurance’s field sales force and dealer customers. Prior to holding his current position, Hash was promoted through several areas of responsibility at GMAC Financial Services, beginning in 1993 as an account representative for the company’s automotive finance operations. For two years prior to taking on his current responsibilities, he managed GMAC Insurance’s GAP Care product. In that position, he managed pricing, profitability and the overall health of the GAP product. Hash also has held positions in GMAC’s North American Operations, working in both customer service and account administration, including field sales & training. Additionally, he spent six years in GMAC’s Educational Services division as instructor of the company’s Managing Retail Operations course. In that position, Hash also instructed over 600 interactive distance learning broadcast on various topics, as well as conducted GM Dealer Development Dealer Assessments.
Regional Vice President, Protective
Kevin Hausch has been in the automotive business for 22 years including roles at the dealership level. In 1992, he joined Protective and is currently a regional vice president for Michigan and Indiana. During his tenure at Protective, Kevin has served as a national trainer and has achieved Protective's Chairman's Club status numerous times. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family, golf, and playing and coaching hockey--a sport he's played for 37 years.
National Sales Director, Charter Warranty Company and Autosave Warranty
Rod Heasley is the national sales director for Charter Warranty Company & the Autosave Warranty program based in Farmington Hill, MI. He has over 26 years in the automotive (retail sales) industry. Rod has served on the executive board of directors, as well as an executive officer for two State dealer associations. He is a contributing writer, and has had numerous articles on sales training & personal motivation published nationally, as well as in in Canada. He conducts many sales training seminars as well as motivational workshops for state dealer associations. Rod has developed the national Autosave "Agent Certification Program" as is responsible for training, certification and immediate supervision of over 238 sales agents and/or agencies throughout the U.S. and Canada.
President and Chief Executive Officer, American Financial &Automotive Services, Inc. and American Financial Warranty Corporation
Arden Hetland is the president and chief executive officer of American Financial & Automotive Services, Inc. and American Financial Warranty Corporation. The American Financial companies provide comprehensive development and administrative services as well as a full portfolio of F&I products to maximize dealership profits. The Automotive Training Academy, a division of American Financial, complements these offerings by preparing automotive professionals for the demands of the industry. Recognized for having the highest standard of integrity and ethics and over 30 years of industry experience, Arden and the American Financial team partner with over 1,100 dealers nationwide.
Senior Editor, Special Finance
Tariq Kamal is the senior editor for Special Finance. Previously, Mr. Kamal was a contributing write for Bobit Business Media's industry-leading fleet titles, including Fleet Financials, Government Fleet and Work Truck. He also serves as the art director for Special Finance and PowerSports F&I. Prior to joining Bobit, he worked as a staff writer, photographer and graphic artist for several magazines at Washington D.C.-based Hanley Wood Business Media. He can be reached at tariq.kamal@bobit.com
Senior Vice President, Client Services Group, CitiFinancial Auto
Mike Kane is senior vice president of the Client Services Group for CitiFinancial Auto. The Client Services Group is responsible for sales and loan origination activities for the regional buying centers and loan production office network. In prior roles for CFA, Mike served as the senior vice president of indirect field operations and as managing director of east coast operations. Mike is an industry veteran having worked in financial services and consumer banking for 24 years.
Vice President of Finance Operations, Easterns Automotive Group
David Kelly joined Easterns Automotive Group in 1999. He was promoted to corporate director in 2004 and now oversees all Easterns Automotive Group finance operations and bank relationships. David has sat on dealer advisory boards for Wells Fargo Auto Finance, ACC Consumer Finance Company, and Prestige Financial Services and has served his 2003 as the representative for Easterns Automotive Group to the National Automotive Finance Association (NAF). David has spoken on several dealer panels at various industry conference, and is now the chairman of the education committee for NAF. He also writes for World of Special Finance Magazine. He lives in Great Falls, Virginia with his wife and two sons.
Regional Sales Manager, Premier Dealer Services
Steve began his automotive career as an indirect lending officer in the banking industry in 1980. He worked for Pat Ryan and Associates, a division of Aon Corporation, for 20 years in numerous senior sales, finance and insurance development, and training leadership capacities. Steve brings to Premier Dealer Services his depth of lease and sub-prime finance knowledge from his tenure with GE Capital Auto Financial Services. Steve's experience and commitment to helping dealerships and agents achieve their goals is directly aligned with Premier Dealer Services' strategic vision to accomplish the same task.
Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer, Auto Credit Express (ACE)
Richard J. Lalonde is the Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of Auto Credit Express (ACE), a company specializing in Sub Prime since 1992. ACE offers thier dealership partners a wide array of products to streamline the Sub Prime process; from the turn key outsourcing of their Sub Prime operations, to an easy to use online selling system. Additionally, ACE offers entry level and advanced sub prime sales and finance training and lead generation. Mr. Lalonde started in the car business in 1981 by serving large dealer groups in public accounting. He then went on to work as a Compteller for a mega dealer and as General Manager for gency Rent-A-Car dealerships. Mr. Lalonde outsold other Agency regions three to one. He recognized the potential Sub Prime displayed and decided to help dealers get into the Sub Prime business by starting his own company. He continues to be the nations leading expert in Sub Prime. Mr. Lalonde is a CPA and received his BBA from Western Michigan University.
Former Vice President/Head of Marketing & Business Development, Wells Fargo Auto Finance
Lou has been with Wells Fargo for the past 14 years, most recently in charge of all marketing and business development for the indirect, direct and branch channels. He has led marketing, sales and credit departments throughout the US and Canada and was part of the executive management team responsible for significantly growing the auto business. Lou led the initiative that resulted in the merger of Wells Fargo's prime and non-prime business units and created and managed the central sales team, the independent dealer channel, and the market research and direct marketing functions while at Auto Finance. Formerly, Lou served as president of the National Auto Finance Association. Lou received his BBA from the University of West Georgia and his MBA from Drake University.
Regional F&I Manager, Zurich
Paul Marino serves as a regional F&I manager for Zurich's direct markets division in Framingham, MA. As a regional F&I manager, Paul designs and implements his regional office's marketing strategy to reach their sales goals for production and profitability. Paul is also responsible for signing new accounts as well as providing training and consulting services for those accounts. As a manager, Paul must hire, train and manage five F&I executives, plus manage the F&I efforts of the six account executives in his region.
Senior Training Consultant, Reahard & Associates
Rick McCormick, senior training consultant of Reahard & Associates, is a graduate of Berean University in Springfield, MO. He has more than 20 years of sales experience with over 5 and a half years in the retail automobile business. Rick as also served as an ordained minister, and attributes his success in both vocations to consistently asking one question: "What's your story?" Rick believes the key to helping others in listening--there is a direct link between your ability to listen effectively and the level of your success in any walk of life. Rick has authored articles on F&I that have appeared in F&I Management & Technology magazine. Rick is a member of the Association of Finance and Insurance Professionals.
Senior Vice President of Sales, CNA National Warranty Corporation
Alan Miller has served as senior vice president of sales for CNA National Warranty Corporation since January of 2007. He is an experienced leader with nearly 30 years of automotive industry knowledge. His background includes automotive retail (initially in sales and later as a director of F&I operations for a metro Chevy store) as well as general agency experience. Miller spent nine years with GE Capital/Heritage Insurance Group in a variety of positions including F&I training director, Southwest regional manager, and vice president of reinsurance management. He was with Protective Life Insurance Company for nearly ten years prior to joining CNA.
President and Chief Operating Officer and Board Member, The Warranty Group, Inc. and Chief Executive Officer, Resource Automotive
Mark H. Mishler is the president and chief operating officer, responsible for claims administration, information technology, underwriting, actuarial, and pricing. In addition to these duties, he is responsible for all sales and marketing activities related to the North American auto segment of the company. Mark also works directly with Mr. Cole and all business and service support operations to enhance the operational and strategic efficiencies of the Group.
Executive Vice President, Resource Automotive
Tom Murray is executive vice president of Resource Dealer Group. Mr. Murray has been with Resource Automotive since July 2000. He has held the positions of district manager, area manager, key account vice president, regional vice president, executive vice president-sales and president and chief operating officer of Resource Dealer Group. In addition, he has almost twenty years of automotive retail experience, including senior automotive management experience and automotive finance and insurance experience. He has held the positions of vice president/COO Top 100 Dealer Group, general manager, general sales management, used car director, new car sales management, director of wholesale operations and financial services management/used car management.
Director of Information Technology, IAS
Matt
Nowicki is director of information technology for Innovative Aftermarket
Systems (IAS), where he oversees all dealer software development including the SmartDealerProducts
Suite. He joined IAS in 1999 and has
directed the development of all SmartDealerProducts software since its
inception. Recent development efforts
have included IAS' eBusiness initiative, which allows dealers to electronically
rate, contract, and remit all IAS warranties.
Prior to joining IAS, he worked as a software developer, network
administrator, database administrator, technical support representative, and
quality assurance analyst. He has close
to twenty years of experience with all aspects of computer technology, from
hardware and software development to network integration.
He earned his B.S. in Computer Sciences from the University of Texas at Austin.
Director, eContracting, RouteOne LLC
Tom O'Connor serves as Director, eContracting, for RouteOne LLC, a joint venture created by Chrysler LLC, Ford Motor Credit Company, GMAC, and Toyota Financial Services. He is responsible for working closely with RouteOne's joint venture owners on product development, market implementation planning and dealer adoption strategies for the eContracting product. Tom joined the RouteOne team in January of 2008. Previous to his tenure at RouteOne, Tom held a variety of field sales, marketing, and management positions within Ford Motor Credit Company. His 35+ years in the automotive industry includes 12 years in automotive retail, comprising positions in sales, sales management and the F&I office. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of Pittsburgh. Tom and his wife Sandy reside in White Lake, Michigan.
Director of Compliance, Reynolds & Reynolds
Terry is presently the director of compliance for Reynolds & Reynolds. Prior to joining Reynolds in 2006, he was employed by the Office of the Attorney General, State of Florida, since 1990, in the Economic Crimes Section. For most of those years he was involved in the investigation and prosecution of automobile dealers, manufacturers, and finance and leasing companies. He has served as a consultant to the Federal Reserve Board's Leasing Education Committee, an observer/adviser for the Uniform Consumer Leases Act committee, and a consultant to "PrimeTime Live", "Dateline" and various other media and publications. In addition, Terry routinely assisted numerous state agencies nationally regarding motor vehicle fraud. Terry has authored magazine articles for Consumer's Digest, At Home With Consumers, and F&I Magazine, among others. He was also published in the first edition of the Encyclopedia of Finance and Insurance Management. Terry graduated from the University of Pittsburgh and received his graduate degrees from the University of Dayton. He is a member of both the Pennsylvania and Florida Bars.
Chairman and CEO, DealerTrack, Inc.
Mark F. O'Neil has served as chief executive officer and a director of DealerTrack since he was recruited in February 2001. In June of 2005, Mr. O'Neil was appointed as chairman of the board. Mr. O'Neil began his career at Intel Corporation, where he first developed knowledge of the technology industry. He subsequently worked for McKinsey & Co before moving to the automotive industry in the late 1980's. His experience in the automotive industry includes serving as president of Ertley MotorWorld. a 19-franchise car dealership in Northeast Pennsylvania. From this traditional retail dealership, Mr. O'Neil went on to co-found and lead the development and roll-out of CarMax, the original and revolutionary used car auto superstore concept. After a brief experience at an automotive dot-com, Mr. O'Neil joined DealerTrack.
President, Nomis Solutions
Dr. Robert L. Phillips founded Nomis Solutions in 2002 to help financial services firms use pricing analytics, optimization and execution to improve profits and market share by better understanding of how customer preferences impact product and portfolio performance. Over the past 15 years, Robert has helped leading companies optimize price and revenue within a wide variety of industries.He is a lecturer at Stanford University Business School and served as a visiting professor at the Columbia University Graduate School of Business. He is the author of the book Pricing and Revenue Optimization and has published widely in such journals as the Risk Management Association Journal, Management Science, and Mathematical Programming. He is a senior editor of the journal Production and Operations Management Systems and an associate editor of Operations Research. He received his doctorate in Engineering-Economic Systems from Stanford University and holds undergraduate degrees in Mathematics and Economics from Washington State University.
President and Founder, National Automotive Experts
Kelly Price is the President and founder of National Automotive Experts (NAE) and has over 18 years of experience directly related to training, distributing and marketing automotive aftermarket products. She and her company work with over 400 dealers and agencies, specializing in income development in the fixed ops and finance arena. Many of the products offered by NAE assist in increasing the service retention and profitability within a dealership. She is also the President of their sister company, National Warranty Administration Network (NWAN), which specializes in administering automotive related service contracts, ancillary products and warranties, customized to the dealership, agencies or clients needs.
Mrs. Price is AFIP Certified and is also certified in a communication process model taught at NASA called Process Communication. NAE and NWAN are based out of Cleveland, Ohio where Mrs. Price has resided with her husband and two children for the past 19 years.
President, Reahard & Associates
Ronald J. Reahard is president of Reahard & Associates, Inc., a nationally recognized training and consulting company. Reahard & Associates provides custom tailored in-dealership training programs, consulting services, and real world solutions that dramatically increase sales, income and customer delight. Ron has created and conducted numerous training programs, seminars, and management workshops for NADA and various state and local dealer associations. He has authored several articles on F&I that have appeared in F&I Management & Technology magazine. Ron conducted the workshop "It's a Menu… Not a Magic Bullet" at the 2007 F&I Conference and "F&I in an X & Y World" at the 2008 NADA Convention.
National Training and Business Development Manager, Zurich
Glenn Roberts is a national training and business development manager for Zurich Insurance. He joined Zurich in 1989 and has more than 25 years experience in the automotive industry. Glenn is the originator and principal developer of Zurich's menu-based Streamline Selling System. He has been featured in numerous publications, including Automotive News, AutoExec magazine, Ward's Dealer Business and Auto Dealer Monthly. He received an M.B.A. degree, with distinction, from Keller Graduate School of Management.
Executive Director, Association of Finance & Insurance Professionals
Co-founder of this organization created to support the in-dealership F&I process, Mr. Robertson leads the initiative to provide AFIP members with the NADA-recommended F&I Professional Certification course. He is the co-designer of the popular Safeguards Rule Compliance it which gives dealerships a complete and inexpensive method for compliance with the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act and is a partner in the CD-ROM-based best practices series, Compliance Thursday. As an advocate for F&I-related issues, Mr. Robertson works as an expert witness and industry consultant. He is widely published and frequently quoted in the trade and popular press and has appeared on 20/20 and MSNBC in addition to being a featured guest on a number of radio programs.
Vice President, Finance and Insurance, Asbury
Mr. Charles Robinson serves as vice president of finance and insurance. He joined Asbury in August 2004 and has an outstanding automotive background that spans a total of more than 30 years in the industry. He had a 24 year career with AON, and his most recent role was that of president and CEO of Resource Dealer Group. Meeting and exceeding expectations has always been a key factor at AON. Prior to working for AON, Charlie was the general manager for two different automotive dealerships in Massachusetts. He attended North Adams and Middlesex colleges
Director of Consumer Credit and Risk Management, GMAC North American Operations
Alex M. Sarafian is the director of consumer credit and risk management for GMAC's North American Operations, responsible for credit scoring, operations support, and acquisitions policies, programs & systems. Prior to joining GMAC in 1997, Alex held a variety of positions in the mortgage services industry. Alex holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance and Marketing and Masters of Business Administration in Corporate Strategy and Finance from the University of Michigan Business School (now Ross School of Business).
Shareholder, Hill Ward Henderson
Robert A. Shimberg is a shareholder in the litigation department of the Tampa, Florida, law firm of Hill Ward Henderson. His primary practice areas include retail automotive dealership compliance (sales and F&I), commercial litigation, and representation of business and individuals involved in criminal or regulatory matters. Robert has provided pro-active compliance-related services and training to over 200 dealerships around the country. He has also represented dealerships and other businesses against consumer claims, defended class-action lawsuits, and provided representation in connection with state agency inquiries and investigations. Robert is also active in many community concerns. He serves on the board of the Tampa Housing Authority, MoreHealth (a health education and safety program for children) and the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay. He and his wife, Michelle, live in Tampa with their three children.
Former Vice President/Head of Strategic Planning & Analysis
Well Fargo Auto FinanceGreg has been with Wells Fargo for the past 13 years, most recently in charge of all strategic planning & analysis for the indirect, direct and branch channels. He has led strategic planning, risk management, lease residual, pricing and dealer strategy departments and was part of the executive management team responsible for significantly growing the auto business. Greg played a key role in merging of Wells Fargo's prime and non-prime business units to create the largest full spectrum auto lender in US. Greg received a B.S. in accounting, with distinction, from Rider University and holds a NJ CPA certification. Greg is married, has two girls and resides in NJ.
President Simoniz® Specialty Markets Division
Mark has been involved in the retail auto industry since 1980. He began his career as a salesperson at an AMC Jeep Renault Dealer in Hartford, CT. In 1984 Mark began work as an F&I consultant and trainer. Mark worked with dealerships in ME, VT, NY, CT and RI. In 1986 he joined Connecticut's leading F&I company offering F&I training and products. In 1996 he began discussions with Simoniz USA on entering into the Evironmental Service Contract business. In 1997 Simoniz USA entered into the market and now offers its program through the country's leading F&I companies and select general gents. The Simoniz program is sold through thousands of dealerships coast to coast, and internationally. Mark is married, has two boys and lives in CT.
President, gvo3 & Associates
Gil Van Over is the principal of gvo3 & Associates, a six person nationally recognized compliance audit, training and review firm. Mr. Van Over works with dealerships around the country in providing F&I and sales compliance and is a frequent speaker to industry groups. He also provides expert witness services on behalf of automotive retailers. Prior to forming gvo3 & Associates, Mr. Van Over was the chief operating office for Premier Auto Finance, a management company that managed auto finance portfolios for dealer groups. He also held various staff and operating positions with Ford More Credit Company, including a stint as a branch manager in Chicago, Illinois. Mr. van Over is an Association of Finance and Insurance Professionals certified mentor, an associate member of the newly formed National Association of Dealer Counsel and a member of Dealer Track's Compliance Advisory Council.
Business Development & Education for F&I Managers
John Vecchioni has been with United Car Care, Inc (Denver, Co) for the past three years, responsible for developing business and education for F&I Managers. he is the host of a bi-montly web cast forum that discusses the F&I deal flow and compliance that the industry operates under today. John is a native of Dearborn, Michigan. He holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Texas at El Paso. He has held a series of security and insurance licenses and specialized in company benefit and retirement packages. He has worked as a salesman, F&I manager, sales manager and general manager responsible for multiple locations in Washington and North Carolina for the past 15 years. Over the past 24 years his selling philosophies and business practices have been adopted by privately owned organizations. He takes great pleasure in helping others achieve their personal and professional success goals.
President, Connections Insights, LLC
Marguerite Watanabe has worked in the automotive and automotive financing industry for over twenty years. During these years, she has devoted much of her energy and efforts in sharing her expertise and industry connections with other industry associates, giving her a unique view of the industry, its strengths, weaknesses and, most importantly, its opportunities. In addition to her current role as president of Connections Insights, LLC, she also serves as director of international programs for the automotive dealership institute of Scottsdale, Arizona. In this role, she conducts educational sessions on auto financing for the Asian Banker in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Group Vice President-Operations, Commercial Finance and International and General Manager, Toyota Financial Savings Bank
Mike Wells is Toyota Financial Services' Group vice president of operations, commercial finance, and international, as well as general manager of Toyota Financial Savings Bank. Mike, who joined the Toyota organization in 1986, provides oversight for the company's three customer service centers, commercial finance business and international team. He additionally is responsible for TFSB, an industrial loan- chartered operation that launched in 2004 and has since come to market with a number of dealer-based banking products and the Lexus Pursuits Visa®. Prior to his current role, Mike served as vice president of marketing, product development and general manager of TFSB. He returned to TFS in 2007 after hol
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