EFG Companies this week announced student competitors and F&I mentors participating in the first F&I Innovator of the Year Award competition at Northwood University.

The competition will pit six teams of Northwood’s junior and senior undergraduate automotive marketing and management students against one another to conceptualize and build a new F&I product while earning course credit. 

Each team includes an F&I director who will serve as a mentor and provide beneficial insight into the daily inner workings of automotive F&I. 

“Because of their practical experience within dealerships, the mentors’ knowledge will be invaluable to the teams,” said John Pappanastos, president and CEO of EFG Companies. “The directors will help the teams understand compliance and its increasing impact on F&I, the changing profile of consumers, and the focus on client retention.“

The teams and mentors include:

Team AutoMates

Comprised of Drake Green (Peoria, Ill.), Gordon Jenks (Venice, Fla.) and Victoria Pretty (Midland, Mich.), Team AutoMates believes they have the most dealership experience combined with a zeal for the automotive industry. One team member comes from a family of dealership owners, and all members have worked in an F&I office.

Team AutoMates is mentored by Tim Ososanya, finance manager at Bob Moore Auto Group in Oklahoma City.

Team Car Conglomerate

Sarah Trierweiler (Portland, Mich.), Austin Kelly (Osseo, Mich.) and Kayleen O’Boyle (Midland, Mich.) make up Team Car Conglomerate. This group of focused students combines a love of accounting with a passion for the automotive industry. Plus, their team mascot Franklin (a Labrador puppy) has prompted them to target pet owners for their F&I product submission.

Team Car Conglomerate is mentored by Dena Moore, finance director at Davis-Moore Auto Group in Wichita, Kan.

Team Furthering Innovation

This enthusiastic group brings a love of cars coupled with a legacy of attending Northwood University to Team Furthering Innovation. Jaclyn Suchta (Rochester, Mich.), Matt Brown (Midland, Mich.) and Tyler Scott (Midland, Mich.) all have experience in the F&I office, and believe their product will appeal to both young and older car buyers.

Team Furthering Innovation is mentored by Adrian Peterson, finance manager at Moritz Dealerships in Ft. Worth, Texas.

Team Quantum Integration

With a competitive, creative focus, Team Quantum Integration strives to be the winning group in the Innovation contest. Team members Collin Ulvund (Boyne, Mich.), Jon Vollmuth (Lake Barrington, Ill.) and Richie Durso (Annville, Pa.) look forward to applying technology to their F&I product submission.

Team Quantum Integration is mentored by Caleb Hargreaves, finance manager at Hanlees Auto Group in Davis, Calif.

Team 4

Team 4 members Audrey Moses-Hoh (Howell, Mich.), Harry Collins (Franklinville, N.J.) and Mark Ruhle (Royal Oak, Mich.) are eager to leverage Northwood’s historic automotive programs with their own millennial focus to deliver the winning F&I product entry.

Team 4 is mentored by Jeff Zinsser, finance director at Star Cars of Abilene in Abilene, Texas.

Team 6

Members of Team 6 are “all automotive, all the time.” Geoff Wallace (Traverse City, Mich.), Matthew Stickney (Brightwaters, N.Y.) and Ryan Holton (Milford, Mich.) believe that innovation, determination and hard work will help them win the F&I award.

Team 6 is mentored by Craig Drew, general manager at Central Maine Motors AutoGroup in Waterville, Maine.

“The students selected to participate in this inaugural F&I Innovator of the Year competition represent the best and brightest at Northwood University,” said Elgie Bright, chair of the automotive marketing and management program at Northwood University.

“Each student maintains a 3.0 GPA along with internships and several other extracurricular activities,” Bright continued. We are excited to see what these students bring to the table.”

You can see weekly team diaries on the competition’s YouTube channel here.