Two decades ago, Paul Lips — who had been in the Indianapolis area working in public accounting since graduating from Ball State University in 1990 — received a call.

It was about an opportunity with this auction company in the area known as ADESA, and he decided to go in for an interview.

“I came in for the interview, and the CFO at the time for ADESA was Brian Warner, and Brian and I had gone to college together,” Lips told Auto Remarketing in an August 2012 interview ahead of his 2013 NAAA presidency. “It was pretty much one of those interviews where he just asked me one question, which was ‘When can you start?’”

But Lips didn’t exactly jump immediately at the offer.

“Well first, I’ve got to see what these auto auctions look like,” he told Warner.

So, Lips went out to ADESA’s Indianapolis location, which was about a year old at the time and one of 26 facilities the company had throughout the country.

“I always explain that the vision in my head at time was that an auto auction was an old barn with dirt floors and junk cars coming in, and a big heavyset auctioneer with a cowboy hat on and a handkerchief over the microphone with a gavel,” Lips said. “I walked into ADESA Indy and with it being a new facility, there were cars in the lobby, and it looked like a new-car dealership showroom.

“And then I walked out in the lanes and saw the activity and all the people, and starting thinking about it.”

He added: “I was like, ‘Wow. I’ve got tons of variety, a very interesting business, and there are people from all walks of life all over the country that I’ll be able to interact with.’ And I’m like, ‘I think this is for me.’”

That might have been an understatement. 

Two decades after joining ADESA in 1996, Lips is now the auction company's chief operating offer for the U.S. 

ADESA said Thursday that Lips is being promoted from his current role as executive vice president of operations and finance.

This move coincides with a new structure for ADESA’s auction groups. In the new post, Lips will head up the entire U.S. auction operations group for ADESA, which will now consist of four regional groups instead of two.

Previously, it was just East and West. Now, ADESA has added Midwest and Mideast groups.

ADESA said in Thursday's news release that the aim of the new structure is “to implement best practices and standardize processes to provide more dedicated service and support to customers nationwide.”

President and chief executive officer Stéphane St-Hilaire said in the statement: “At ADESA, we are continually developing new strategies to ensure our customers have the best auction experience possible. The launch of four regions in place of two will enable us to further satisfy our customers’ needs and better leverage our resources and multiple assets at KAR Auction Services.

“Paul is a proven innovator and leader who has consistently strengthened our operations since joining the company nearly two decades ago. His unique blend of financial and operational expertise will be essential to driving this exciting change.”

In his 20 years with ADESA, Lips has held such leadership roles as corporate controller for ADESA’s finance department, vice president of investor relations and planning, and senior vice president of operations and finance. Plus, his most recent post as executive vice president of operations and finance.

Edtior's Note: This story contains an abridged version of a 2012 Auto Remarketing feature on Lips as he prepared to take on the presidency of the National Auto Auction Association. The full story can be read here.