Nick Pawlak definitely feels at home in the industry, even if it’s not where he expected to end up.
“I started my career in public accounting, with no knowledge of the remarketing industry,” he said. “I had a couple of friends that worked within the KAR organization and talked about how much they enjoyed it.”
Since joining the company, Pawlak said he has thoroughly enjoyed the fast-paced environment as well as the challenges that both the company and the industry provide him daily.
His responsibilities include overseeing the field inspector network and inside call center operations for the U.S. portion of AutoVIN.
When asked what he is most proud of in his career, Pawlak said the answer is twofold.
“Being able to work with so many amazing people in various functions and businesses in the auto remarketing world. This opportunity has been brought about due to the various job duties that I have had,” he said.
“From accounting to investor relations to working at various auctions to operations for an inspection company. (It’s) truly a blessing to get to work with and know the wide range of individuals that I have encountered.”
And he’s found no shortage of inspirations among those people.
“The ones that I admire most are highly motivated with a desire to win. Not just to win, but to go about it the right way, not cutting corners and doing so in a respectful manner,” he said.
“I have encountered so many examples of this while working at KAR and in general within the auto remarketing industry. These type of qualities are a true testament to the leaders of not only this industry, but to the business community as a whole.”
Nick Pawlak, 37, U.S. vice president of Operations at AutoVIN.
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What began as a means of support during college has blossomed into a rewarding career for Allison Musante.
“Fifteen years later and I could not imagine working in any other field,” said Musante, who joined Smithtown Acura in 2008 as controller and took over as general manager a year later. “The industry has proven to be a perfect fit for me and has afforded me many great opportunities.”
While humble about her own role — “The general manager is responsible for everything the dealership does or fails to do,” she summarized — Musante is quick to pile accolades upon her team.
“While there are many aspects of my career that I take pride in, I am most proud of my team,” she said. “Their growth, development and eagerness to learn are why the dealership continues to be successful.”
Asked what she relishes most about her job, Musante again pointed to her team.
“What I enjoy most is the chance to influence and guide my team in achieving their goals. The success I share with my team is the most satisfying and rewarding aspect of my job,” she said.
Musante singled out the former GM of Fiat-Alfa Romeo of Austin as an industry role model.
“Lisa Copeland is an automotive rock star and a perfect example of the career opportunities for women in this industry,” Musante said. “I admire her drive, determination, and the culture that she created in her Fiat dealership in Texas. She is a true inspiration, having led her team to be the No. 1 Fiat dealership in the nation.”
Allison Musante, 34, is general manager at Smithtown Acura.
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Bill McCready’s career in the automotive industry began at a Cadillac dealership in Pittsburgh after graduating from college. Turns out, trying to deliver luxury vehicles provided him with a better education.
“I had no idea what I was getting into; I just knew that I needed a job,” McCready said. “I can truthfully say that I learned more about business and sales my first year selling cars than I did all my years obtaining a marketing degree.”
After spending several years at that Cadillac store “and dealing with typical Pennsylvania winters,” McCready moved to South Carolina and landed his first wholesale industry position at Charleston Auto Auction. Now he’s the vice president of operations at Southeastern Auto Auction in Savannah, Ga., overseeing all facets of the operation by directing day-to-day operations to long-term strategic planning
“What I enjoy most about this business is the people and the relationships I have made over the years,” McCready said. I get to work with dealers who have a handful of cars on their lots, to franchise dealers with hundreds of cars, to institutional accounts managing thousands of cars. Everyone has different stories and different personalities.
“I have made friends that I know I will have for the rest of my life,” he added.
That collection of friends includes several who have impacted McCready’s career.
“Although my dad has never been in the car business, I know I would not be where I am professionally if it wasn’t for him and the values he instilled in me,” McCready said. “Another person who I admire and who gave me my first shot in the auction industry is Keith Lelux. He taught me what it takes to run a successful auction and how to grow a business.
Wayne DeLoach, Tommy Childs and Danny Williams, who I currently work with at Southeastern Auto Auction, have recently had a big influence on me,” McCready continued. “Their leadership, dedication and devotion is exceptional. I have been fortunate to have met and worked with many others that I have a great deal of respect for. They are all family oriented, they will not go against their ethical beliefs and they truly care about their employees and their customers.”
Bill McCready, 35, is vice president of operations at Southeastern Auto Auction.
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Kelly McAllister described a scenario many young college graduates might encounter. McAllister just collected his degree when a friend mentioned the Manheim Dallas-Fort Worth location was looking to boost its auction sales staff.
Years later and still in the industry, McAllister expressed gratitude for the Manheim site that first hired him.
“Other than someone who inherits the industry as part of their family’s business, I have never met anyone who said that they planned to be in the automotive remarketing or auto auction business,” McAllister said.
“Almost every story I’ve ever heard about how someone ended up at an auction involved some type of temporary employment while they were waiting for a more permanent job opportunity,” he continued. “Then, before they know it, what started as a job becomes a profession.”
McAllister’s current position with XLerate Group means he’s responsible for the development and growth of the company’s presence in nontraditional sales channels. He also helps XLerate’s auctions “step outside of their conventional markets to further their customers’ remarketing success.”
Since beginning work with the XLerate Group auctions, McAllister also noted that he helped to develop their “outside the gate” strategy, resulting in 10 percent of the total vehicles listed on SmartAuction. XLerate Group also claimed the Most Innovative Auction Group Award during last year’s CAR Conference.
“I absolutely admire and respect my employers and co-workers at XLerate Group, especially Cam Hitchcock, Darris McClure and Pat Dudash,” McAllister said.
“I am also grateful for the people I have met throughout my career — Frank Post, Patti Bailey, John Swofford and Jim McAnally, whom I consider my mentor in this industry. Each of these people have helped me in my career and are relationships in this industry I am grateful to have made,” McAllister went on to say.
Now firmly entrenched in the wholesale industry, McAllister acknowledged, “My story isn’t different.”
He continued, “I have noticed that people rarely leave this industry once they have a few years invested. When you’re in, you tend to stay in, and I believe that has a lot to do with how dependent the used-car industry is on relationships.
“The balance between auction and dealer and consignor is unique and sometimes fragile. This business requires a strong commitment to integrity if you intend to be successful,” McAllister concluded.
Kelly McAllister, 38, is director of online business development, XLerate Group.
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Jim Jabaay gained early entry into the automotive world.
“I started out detailing cars for the family independent dealership that my grandfather started in 1954, focusing on both retail and wholesale,” he said. “I eventually sold cars both on the lot and at the auction. This led me to a great opportunity working for Manheim right out of college.”
Today, as vice president of LotVantage, Jabaay oversees sales, marketing, business development, account management and support teams. It’s a role he relishes in an industry he loves.
“What I enjoy the most about this industry is the true entrepreneurship and resilience of dealers. This industry is vital to the economy and some of the most innovative ideas have come from the car business,” he said. “Dealer principals and general managers genuinely enjoy this industry and aren’t afraid to put in the hard work with a ‘do whatever it takes’ mindset.”
Jabaay says he has found particular fulfillment in helping dealers become more successful.
“It started on the wholesale side, helping dealers maximize their profits or minimizing their losses and helping them connect the dots between retail and wholesale,” he said. “I’ve since been able to expand my automotive experience on the digital side, providing technology solutions that help retail more inventory and ensuring proper company branding.”
Asked about whom he admires professionally, Jabaay proudly cited his father.
“Running a dealership is a 24/7 job, and he and I still talk daily about the business. This has allowed me to stay in touch with the challenges of running a dealership,” he said. “It gives me the ability to create clear sales messages for products that help dealers grow their business.”
Jim Jabaay, 34, is vice president of LotVantage.
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What Sam Liang enjoys most — and what he is most proud of — in his career is the diversity.
“The automotive industry is extremely complex and one of the few consumer goods where we design, engineer, build, finance, service and repurpose the product,” he said. “I’ve been super fortunate to be able to have numerous experiences in various functions throughout my career.”
He describes his role with Infiniti as leading “a diverse and extremely talented team of high-performing professionals responsible for the development of the Infiniti used-vehicle operations, marketing and strategy.”
And while he says the product side is what led him into the auto industry, it’s the people who’ve made him stay.
“It’s really a small, tight-knit community,” he said.
Asked about someone he admires professionally, Liang cited the recently retired Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs.
“I’m a big NBA fan and appreciative of their focus to detail, dedication to task at hand of competing to be the best every year, and loyalty to the team,” he said.
Sam Liang, 34, is senior manager, certified pre-owned sales operations at Infiniti USA.
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As the co-founder and chief operating officer of DRIVIN, Justin Mahlik wears a lot of hats, as he leads the strategy, finance and operations of the company.
Mahlik has also helped the company form partnerships in the past year-and-a-half with companies like Black Book, Experian, Polk and Cars.com.
“At DRIVIN, we are addressing a really, really tough problem in the automotive industry, and we are doing it with analytics, technology, human capital and a motivation to partner with dealers and move the industry forward,” he said.
“I am proud of the world-class team we have built across our entire organization, as well as a cultural tenet that the ‘Dealer Partner > Company > Self’ to address the problem,” Mahlik said. “Without these foundational elements, I believe DRIVIN would not have seen the success that we have in such a short amount of time.”
So how did he come to the car business in the first place?
Mahlik said it was somewhat serendipitously.
“I had previously spent the majority of my career in finance, working at a middle market investment bank and at a private investment firm. At the latter, we made and/or oversaw a number of investments in the automotive space,” he said.
“I gained a keen appreciation for the size and complexity of, and most importantly, the opportunity in the automotive industry. When Kayne Grau (co-founder of DRIVIN) and I met with Eric Lefkofsky, Brad Keywell, Andy Intrater and Mitch Golub, financial sponsors, to build our game-plan to provide transparency and process improvement to one of the most antiquated operations inside of a dealership, the opportunity was too challenging to pass up.”
Lastly, we asked Mahlik to name some of the people he has admired professionally. He shared a few, breaking the list down by different categories.
- Mentor: “Brian Clingen, former chairman and CEO of KAR Auction Services, is a great example of someone who is able to clearly see the larger goals and mission of an organization, yet gives managers autonomy when managing their functional areas of expertise, but at the end of the day brings teams together to accomplish their goals.”
- Educator: “Harry Kraemer, former chairman and CEO of Baxter and current professor at the Kellogg School of Management, has had a profound influence on my view of leadership. His values-based leadership and understanding of the character and challenges of leadership are topics I, and fellow Kellogg grads in our organization, try to apply on a daily basis.”
- Family: “I’ve always looked up to my father and his focus on long term goals/success and his ability achieve those goals by leading through commitment — building a shared vision and motivated team, that is committed to the success of the organization first.”
- Colleagues: “I have a deep respect for entrepreneurs and over the last five years in Chicago, it has been exciting to watch many of my friends and colleagues take big risks to address even bigger problems through entrepreneurship. There are too many to name, but their commitment, work ethic and successes have been admirable.”
Justin Mahlik, 35, is the co-founder and chief operating officer at DRIVIN.
View entire list of 40 Under 40 honorees.
Derek Hansen is responsible for developing innovative digital solutions that make it easier for dealers to manage wholesale inventory and negotiate transactions. As a result, two individuals who have impacted Hansen the most specialize in skills necessary for him to do his job successfully.
“There are several people I admire professionally, but it definitely starts with my father,” Hansen said. “My father was an officer in the military, and he was a tremendous example of leadership, discipline and doing things the right way.
“Additionally, Clayton Christensen has been a huge influence in my career, both from his work in consulting and his work studying disruption and innovation,” Hansen continued. “I had the opportunity to meet him during my studies and appreciate the way he looks at business and at life.”
Hansen initially didn’t start his career in the automotive space, but his time in management consulting led to an understanding of various industries. Ultimately, Hansen landed several projects associated with vehicles.
“Once in the car business, I was hooked,” he said. “I love the fast-paced nature, the innovation and disruption that is occurring. There is an opportunity for businesses to drive growth as they improve the way cars are bought and sold.
Now Hansen has what he enjoys, an important position within Cox Automotive’s machine at Manheim.
“There are several parts of my career that I am proud of including what we have been able to accomplish as a team this year at Manheim Digital,” Hansen said. “However, if I were to call out what I am most proud of at this point, it would be contributing to the formation of the growth strategy of Cox Automotive.
“The opportunity to work with a great team and across all aspects of the industry where Cox Automotive has a presence has been one of the highlights of my career,” he went on to say.
Derek Hansen, 36, is vice president, digital inventory solutions at Manheim.
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Cox Automotive leveraged several executives to finalize its $4 billion acquisition of Dealertrack Technologies last fall. Tish Harrison was one of them.
“I am most proud of my work with the Cox Automotive deal team for the Dealertrack acquisition. As a result of my involvement, I worked alongside some extremely talented people,” Harrison said.
“It was one of those rare chances to be a part of something that would have a huge impact on the industry as well as a historic moment for Cox Automotive and Cox Enterprises — the largest transaction in company history,” she continued. “It was one of the most challenging yet rewarding experiences in my career, and certainly one that I’ll never forget.”
Now about a year after the deal closed, Harrison leads an internal, six-member market consulting team supporting the Inventory Solutions business within Cox Automotive. That group is responsible for performing business analyses and identifying market opportunities where “we serve up insights impacting the development of marketing, sales and operations strategies that support the company’s business objectives and growth initiatives,” according to Harrison.
Being a part of multi-billion dollar deals isn’t the only subject Harrison finds intriguing and rewarding.
“As far back as I can remember, I’ve always loved cars,” Harrison said. “During road trips with my family, I’d entertain myself by guessing the model year of cars based on the trim, wheels, etc. (I am an only child and had to get creative about passing the time).
“What I love most about the industry is how it greatly contributes to the overall global economy and provides a mean for so many people to provide for their families,” she continued. “I also enjoy watching the business transform at such a rapid pace.”
And speaking of family, Harrison mentioned she admires her mother, touching on the reason why.
“She is a nurse who was (and still is) an awe-inspiring image of excellence and work ethic,” Harrison said.
“I also admire all of the women in the business that have broken down barriers and reached new professional heights,” she went on to say. “It is encouraging to see so many women in various leadership roles in numerous companies throughout the industry.”
Tish Harrison, 35, is director, market consulting with Cox Automotive.
View entire list of 40 Under 40 honorees.
Like many of this year’s honorees, Kathy Hopkins’ career blossomed from something she thought would be temporary.
“I was 16 years old and part of a high school program called ICE, Interdisciplinary Cooperative Education,” she said, explaining that it entailed a half day of school with a half day of work. “During my search for the perfect on-the-job training at the age of 16, a good friend recommended the local Ford dealership.
“While I thought this was something short term, it turned out to be the beginning of a lifetime career in the car business.”
At the Ford store, Hopkins learned both the front and back-end workings of a dealership, eventually becoming the youngest parts manager in the history of the dealership before a friend and co-worker recruited her to work at ADESA.
“I am proud that I have worked my way through ADESA from the bottom up. I started in (1998) as an administrative clerk, where my primary responsibility was to file papers. Fast forward to today where I am the regional dealer sales manager overseeing sales activities for 14 auctions.”
Hopkins explained that her role includes working with local auction sales managers to provide guidance on managing dealer sales activities including dealer contracts for consignment and sale attendance, dealer relationships, arbitrations and sales team activities in the respective region.
“I am responsible for developing a plan and sales strategy to ensure each auction location is working towards the unified goal of hitting their dealer sales annual volume budgets,” she continued.
At this point in her career, Hopkins said she is proud to be “at the same company that continues to be very rewarding both personally and professionally. I am incredibly fortunate to have developed so many great relationships over the years. My success in each position would not be possible if it weren’t for the amazing employees I have had the pleasure of working with.
“I am also very grateful for the confidence the ADESA leadership continues to have in me every day,” she continued. “I have stayed in this business for over 21 years because I love that it is fast-paced, forever changing, always challenging and rewarding.”
As far as her professional role models, Hopkins’ answer was succinct: “I admire all the female leaders in this male-dominated industry.”
Kathy Hopkins, 38, is regional dealer sales manager at ADESA.
View entire list of 40 Under 40 honorees.
Editor's Note: Story updated to clarify that Hopkins began working at ADESA in 1998.
