Awards Archives | Page 5 of 52 | Auto Remarketing

2022 Women in Retail honorees

Auto Remarketing is proud to celebrate our annual Women in Retail awards, a program sponsored by CarGurus.

With these awards, we specifically recognize top leaders on the retail side of the auto industry, including honorees from dealerships, dealer groups and third-party providers/vendors.

Honorees will be recognized in the upcoming July issue of Auto Remarketing and at Used Car Week this fall. 

The 2022 class of Women in Retail honorees is as follows:

Inaugural class of ‘Dealers Under 40’ honorees

Auto Remarketing has added a twist to our 40 Under 40 program.

The program will now feature two separate awards: “Dealers Under 40,” which is sponsored by CARFAX and focuses exclusively on leaders from auto dealerships; as well as a 40 Under 40 for the overall industry, which will focus on the consignors, auctions, auto finance, vendors, tech companies, associations and other players within the used-car space.

The dealer honorees, which will be featured in the upcoming June issue of Auto Remarketing, can be found below:

Mo Abed of Car N Go Auto Sales

Ashley Andrews of Barbour Hendrick Honda 

Ryan Boehne of Walser Toyota

Craig Brauer of Lithia & Driveway

Joseph Brunn of CarsMark Sales and Leasing

Melvin Cooper of Watsonville Auto Group

Neely Darr of Vic Bailey Ford Lincoln

Kyle Elder of Street Volkswagen of Amarillo

Derek Griffith of Northeast Auto Imports

Kelly Halpin of Performance Lexus RiverCenter

Khader Hamdallah of Wheels Auto Sales Inc.

Bennett Johnson of Hiester Automotive Group, Inc.

Harry Kasparian of HGregoire & HGreg.com

Constantine Kogan of Cosmo Motors Inc.

Scott Kunes of Kunes Automotive and RV Group

Matthew Leeders of Daystar Auto Group

Tony Lucas of Casa Auto Group

Bruce Lynch of Americas's Car-Mart Inc.

Jordan McDonald of Honda of Princeton

Lindsey Michael-Longo of Capital Auto Group/RideShift

Jeremiah Mowry of Atlanta Auto Brokers, INC.

Kristopher Nielson of Aristocrat Motors Topeka

Hugh Palmer of Beaver Toyota Cumming

Kylie Parks of Vroom

Chad Pennington of Coast to Coast Motors

Evan Raber of Carvana

Kareem Radwan of K&S Alfa Romeo of San Diego

Nei Rodrigues of Sutherlin Nissan Orlando 

Alejandro Rojas of Lithia & Driveway

Savannah Simms of Polestar Marin 

Dustin Street of Hendrick Honda Easley

Shaun Sumaru of Carsfast

Elisabeth Taylor of iGo Motors

Zac Tekac of Taylor Autogroup

Theo Tuggle of 6th Ave Honda 

Christopher Wesney of McCarthy's

Westlake Financial spotlights 2021 auction winners

Westlake Financial announced its 2021 Auction of the Year Award winner on Monday, along with Top Regional Auction honorees.

Taking home top honors was Manheim Dallas, which was also the regional winner in the South Central U.S.

Other Top Regional Auction honorees included:

• Midwest Region: Manheim Milwaukee
• Southeast Region: Rawls Auto Auction
• Northeast Region: Manheim Baltimore-Washington
• Southwest Region: ADESA Salt Lake City
• Pacific Region: ADESA Golden Gate

Manheim Dallas, Rawls, Manheim Baltimore-Washington and ADESA Golden Gate were repeat winners.

Honorees are determined by an average score calculated from the consignor’s remarketing unit sales from last year. Auctions that sold Westlake vehicles at the highest Manheim Market Report book value percentage received recognition.

“Westlake is proud to work alongside the top auction performers in the country,” said William Walters, vice president of remarketing for Westlake Financial Services, in a news release. “I look forward to seeing their continued growth and success!”

Manheim Dallas general manger Rich Curtis added: “Our team at Manheim Dallas is truly honored to be named the 2021 Westlake Financial Services Auction of the Year.

“We thank our team for taking great pride in servicing our clients and helping them achieve their goals,” he said. “We value our long-standing partnership with Westlake and appreciate this prestigious recognition.”

Women in Remarketing: Champika Gamage of Hyundai Capital America

Auto Remarketing is recognizing the 2022 Women in Remarketing honorees in the May issue of the magazine, and will be posting Q&As with each of these outstanding leaders on the website.

Next up is Champika Gamage, who is manager of pricing & analytics at Hyundai Capital America.

Auto Remarketing: What is the top trend you’re watching in remarketing/wholesale automotive this year?

Champika Gamage: Last year was a pretty interesting year for the used automotive market with lots of constraints. We have been closely watching the impact on the market mainly due to supply chain disruptions, global semiconductor chip shortage, and subsequent production cuts by big OEMs. As a result, wholesale used-vehicle prices have been skyrocketing, but may not last long. Our current approach is to identify latest new vehicle production trend and retail vehicle sales trend to gauge price elasticity.

AR: How has technology/innovation impacted your specific area of remarketing/wholesale the most?

Gamage: Technology has been changing everything in remarketing and it has been a “must-have tool” to be a strong competitor in current complex market. We have been using modern statistical and machine learning techniques along with regular and alternative data to drive decisions on every vehicle we sell. The ability to use data on price forecasting models has made the vehicle pricing more insightful. We also can use developing technology to optimize vehicle distribution segment in remarketing business.

AR: What piece of career advice would you have for someone new to the industry?

Gamage: Understand your job responsibilities and update your knowledge in the market developments at a daily basis. Always talk with industry experts to improve your knowledge and to build up network. This will help you to accept new challenges and fi nd new opportunities.

AR: What is your proudest moment/accomplishment, career-wise?

Gamage: The pandemic was a once-in-lifetime experience, even for a veteran in the industry. Our models were not trained to forecast prices during a pandemic. Therefore, we had to develop new strategies on vehicle pricing by conducting scenario analysis, doing competitor price analysis and inventory bottleneck planning, and by tracking COVID cases, hospitalization, and death at state and national level. We were able to successfully weather the pandemic period with unconventional business strategies backed by regular and alternative data sources.

Merchants Fleet claims 3 industry honors while also naming top auction

Merchants Fleet not only received three Stevie Awards as part of the 20th annual American Business Awards, the fleet management company also recognized its Top Overall Auction for 2021. 

Claiming the auction accolade for the second year in a row from the fifth largest fleet company in the U.S., according to a news release from ServNet, is North Bay Auto Auction.

“Our entire auction team is thrilled to again be named the top auction in the U.S. for Merchants Fleet,” said David Aahl, partner and general manager at North Bay Auto Auction. 

“This award is evidence of the care and attention we devote to our customers.  Lease returns never let up even in the height of the pandemic, and Merchants Fleet has been an important partner during a tumultuous time,” Aahl continued in the news release from ServNet, of which North Bay Auto Auction is a member.

Aahl acknowledged the role that Ashley Sackett, the fleet lease representative at North Bay, played in the auction’s success with Merchants Fleet. 

“Ashley provides the boots on the ground for Merchants Fleet, making sure that all areas of quality control are met,” Aahl said. “She touches every vehicle, and it is due to her efforts that we know that condition reports are accurate and that all the details of sale preparation and sale are managed with care.”

North Bay Auto Auction has been handling vehicles for Merchants Fleet since 2015. In addition to winning top honors for the account in 2020 and 2021, the auction also won its Top Line Service Award in 2018.

“Merchants Fleet recognizes its top auction based on service, performance, and a variety of metrics, including timeliness of days to sale and conversion rate,” Merchants Fleet remarketing manager Bill Boutwell said. “A group of us determines our annual award recipients, and the decision to name North Bay as our Top Overall Auction was a unanimous one.”

“The team at North Bay does everything you’d hope an auction would do, going out of their way to process our vehicles and get them sold,” Boutwell continued. “While we can only look at photos of our off-lease units, they can really see what’s going on, and they’re proactive in communicating, with status reports, follow up and vehicle assessments.  They’ve proved an invaluable part of the remarketing process and have set a standard of excellence for our auctions all over the country.”

As a family-owned independent auction founded in 1993 by Don Morrow in the region stretching from Los Angeles to Seattle, North Bay Auto Auction is situated on 33 acres near the I-80 corridor in between San Francisco and Sacramento in Fairfield, Calif.

The auction holds a sale twice weekly, on Tuesday at 4 p.m. and Thursday at 10 a.m.

Honors for Merchants Fleet, too

Meanwhile, the fleet company also announced three members of the Merchants’ senior leadership team have received Stevie Awards during the 20th annual American Business Awards.

According to a company news release, Merchants chief executive officer Brendan P. Keegan has been named Thought Leader of the Year in the Business Services category.

Senior vice president and chief financial officer Jerry Pavelich has been awarded with an Achievement Financial Services Management

Vice president of strategic alliances Rick Bell has been recognized for Achievement in Transportation Management.

The company highlighted that all three are tenured fleet professionals whose experience and expertise in the industry are the driving force behind Merchants’ meteoric growth.

In 2021 the Merchants portfolio of vehicles grew by nearly $500 million to a total of value of $2 billion — a 34% increase, with 20,000 vehicles on the road and 4 million packages per day delivered in a vehicle managed by Merchants.

“Innovation is at the core of everything we do, and it’s no secret that Merchants is setting the standard for excellence in the transportation industry,” Keegan said in the news release. “We are incredibly proud to be recognized by the American Business Awards, and to be part of the award-winning Merchants team.”

Nicknamed the “Stevies” for the Greek word meaning “crowned,” the American Business Awards received more than 3,700 nominations from organizations of all sizes. Each year, more than 230 professionals worldwide participate in the judging process to select this award winners.

“We are so pleased that we will be able to stage our first ABA awards banquet since 2019 and to celebrate in person, the achievements of such a diverse group of organizations and individuals,” said Maggie Miller, president of the Stevie Awards.

The awards will be presented to winners at a gala ceremony at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York on June 13.

Details about The American Business Awards and the list of 2022 Stevie winners are available at www.StevieAwards.com/ABA.

Women in Remarketing: Beth Gregory of GM Financial

Auto Remarketing is recognizing the 2022 Women in Remarketing honorees in the May issue of the magazine, and will be posting Q&As with each of these outstanding leaders on the website.

Next up is Beth Gregory, who is remarketing solutions team lead at GM Financial.

Auto Remarketing: What is the top trend you’re watching in remarketing/wholesale automotive this year?

Beth Gregory: The trend I will be watching this year is used-car prices. My team is impacted greatly by the increase in auction sale prices. It has been a less common perspective watching both spectrums of used-car prices. While most consumers are negatively impacted by high used-car prices, I am seeing positive consumer impact on the deficiency balance. We’re getting higher returns on auction sales. It’s resulting in a lesser defi ciency balance amount and often a surplus to the customer.

AR: How has technology/innovation impacted your specific area of remarketing/wholesale the most?

Gregory: GM Financial Remarketing has implemented multiple Robotic Process Automations within the department. I had the honor of assisting with the first robot in GMF Remarketing. It took a simple but tedious task and streamlined the process.

We have found great success with RPA and continue to look for ways to utilize it throughout the department.

AR: What piece of career advice would you have for someone new to the industry?

Gregory: My advice for someone new to the industry is to embrace change, stay positive and remain teachable. There is so much to learn coming into this industry and it can be overwhelming. When you start to be overwhelmed or feel like you’re making mistakes, remain positive.

Your mistakes are lessons that you should use to build you up, not tear you down. Use your mistakes to mold you into a stronger, confident, and more knowledgeable person.

AR: What is your proudest moment/accomplishment, career-wise?

Gregory: My leadership brand is a “Motivating Culture Catalyst.” I want to be known for creating an environment that motivates team members growth and development in a positive and knowledgeable environment. So that I am building a high functioning team. My greatest moment in my career was when I put my leadership style and brand in full effect as I began to lead a new team. I took my new team and was able to get them excited, engaged and expanded their knowledge beyond their current role.

Women in Remarketing: Sierra Vielhauer of ACV

Auto Remarketing is recognizing the 2022 Women in Remarketing honorees in the May issue of the magazine, and will be posting Q&As with each of these outstanding leaders on the website.

Next up is Sierra Vielhauer, who is senior major account manager at ACV. 

Auto Remarketing: What is the top trend you’re watching in remarketing/ wholesale automotive this year?

Sierra Vielhauer: The evolution of EV vehicles and consumer sourcing.

AR: How has technology/innovation impacted your specific area of remarketing/wholesale the most?

Vielhauer: I have had the opportunity to work for a company that is changing a very old industry with the main focuses around technology/innovation and trust & transparency. I started with ACV at the beginning of 2018. Due to this I have been able to touch many different areas of the business and assist with product development and emerging technologies within ACV.

AR: What piece of career advice would you have for someone new to the industry?

Vielhauer: Surround yourself with individuals smarter than you. Understand there is always something more to learn. Never stop evolving personally or professionally.

AR: What is your proudest moment/accomplishment, career-wise?

Vielhauer: My family has been in the auto industry for over 70 years and my grandfather was always been so proud that I was the only grandchild to continue on in the industry. I am proud that I am able to continue on his legacy every day

Women in Remarketing: Amber Powell of Black Book

Auto Remarketing is recognizing the 2022 Women in Remarketing honorees in the May issue of the magazine, and will be posting Q&As with each of these outstanding leaders on the website.

Next up is Amber Powell, senior automotive analyst at Black Book.

Auto Remarketing: What is the top trend you're watching in remarketing/wholesale automotive this year?

Amber Powell: The top trend that I have been watching centers around the electric vehicle space. Electric vehicles are beginning to transform the automotive market, much in the way that smartphones revolutionized the way we communicate. There are numerous domestic startup companies preparing to enter the market while manufacturers from other countries are looking to bring their popular models to the US, and legacy companies are pulling out all the stops to successfully transition from traditional ICE vehicles to EVs.

At the same time, companies and agencies are planning for increased infrastructure and both federal and state governments are adding incentives for light duty passenger and commercial vehicles. Technology advancement research emerges frequently around different types of EV batteries, especially as necessary resources become scarcer. The second life of used EV batteries has become an important topic of conversation when thinking about corporate social responsibility and creating sustainable supply chains; manufacturers are diligently working towards collaborations with environmental agencies and energy storage companies to find the right fit.

EVs affect all areas of the automotive market — from manufacturers, transportation, dealerships, auctions, and ultimately consumers. It will be interesting to see who wins the market in 10 or 15 years.

AR: How has technology/innovation impacted your specific area of remarketing/wholesale the most?

Powell: Most recently, technology has been instrumental during the pandemic as a large majority of the general public transitioned to remote working and living. Now, consumers can buy a vehicle literally from their couch including trade-in valuations, financing options and new vehicle delivery.

There have been more consumer protections put in place, including buy-back guarantees and longer test drives, which have been heavily advertised and seem to be eff ective. In the same aspect, dealers and other buyers have similar protections when purchasing used vehicles from upstream platforms and auction lanes. Nearly all transactions relating to a vehicle can be done essentially virtual, so what does this mean for brick-and-mortar stores? Will they need to transition too, or will a sub-set of the population still appreciate the ability to physically see and test drive vehicles before purchase?

While I definitely feel like there is still great value in physical stores, these technological advancements have been positive overall. Dealers and customers aren’t missing out on purchasing their ideal vehicle simply because of location and a more inclusive purchasing environment has been created. Only time will tell if these changes are here to stay.

AR: What piece of career advice would you have for someone new to the industry?

Powell: The advice that I would give for someone new to the industry is to learn as much as you can and don’t be afraid to take calculated risks. There are so many moving pieces in the automotive industry — from manufacturing, financing, transportation, marketing, and sales operations to remarketing, model mix, residuals, incentive spend, lease and rental pen rates.

The way things are done are tried and true, and changing any input can have signifi cant impacts on other parts of the business. When you understand those relationships, then you can try new things. The possibilities really are endless.

The automotive industry as a whole is changing, but knowledge and understanding will always be valuable.

AR: What is your proudest moment/accomplishment, career-wise?

Powell: My proudest accomplishment to date career-wise has been becoming part of the Black Book team. It is a nice cherry on top of my career path so far — I didn’t know when I took a job at a dealership 14 years ago that that decision would lead me to have opportunities to then sell auto insurance for AAA, reconcile sales at an IAA auto auction, appraise vehicles as an auto damage adjuster for GEICO, manage insurance programs at body shops, and develop skillsets at Mercedes’ US headquarters.

Being a part of Black Book is the culmination of all my dedication and experience and I feel extremely fortunate to now have this opportunity to continue developing professionally with a tremendously supportive leadership team on tasks and projects that I am passionate about including wholesale values, comprehensive go-to-market strategies, equipment optimization studies, and EV market analysis, among others for lenders, dealers, and manufacturers, in addition to in-house innovative process improvements and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives. Every day is exciting, and I feel like I am where I am supposed to be.

Women in Remarketing: Deann Flora of Capital One

Auto Remarketing is recognizing the 2022 Women in Remarketing honorees in the May issue of the magazine, and will be posting Q&As with each of these outstanding leaders on the website.

Next up is Deann Flora, who is regional remarketing manager at Capital One. 

Auto Remarketing: What is the top trend you’re watching in remarketing/ wholesale automotive this year?

Deann Flora: Supply constraint is the biggest trend of this year. It impacts every part of our business, from what is available to finance to how many units are in the wholesale market. This topic also encourages discussion regarding our global economy and supply chain distribution at depths we’ve never encountered. In terms of remarketing, the supply has allowed us to really question whether the tried-and-true ways to differentiate are as valuable as we think they are in absolute terms.

AR: How has technology/innovation impacted your specific area of remarketing/wholesale the most?

Flora: I spent part of my career in the online space and know how valuable of an asset a robust digital presentation is, particularly to our buyers. While sellers have historically utilized various options to represent their units, I always favored in-lane due to the complexity of our portfolio. As we all experienced, the pandemic made the availability of fully developed online channels a necessity. The integration of the best of both worlds as I return to an in-person selling experience has had the greatest personal impact.

AR: What piece of career advice would you have for someone new to the industry?

Flora: Be true to your words. Personal integrity transcends the industry, and its importance cannot be overstated. You may change roles or companies, but industry colleagues always remember if your behavior aligns with what you say. Even difficult messages are better received if your actions reinforce your words, and remain consistent from an entry level employee to the C-suite to the customer.

AR: What is your proudest moment/accomplishment, career-wise?

Flora: Work takes up so much of our life; it’s important to create an environment where people feel included and empowered. Learning how to identify what is important for my team and how to reduce the noise has been a primary goal throughout my career. That specific pursuit has helped me foster a dynamic where our main focus is meeting objectives and increasing our eff ectiveness. Watching former and current members of my team achieve their potential, because of some of those core philosophies, are my proudest moments.

Women in Remaketing: Michelle Hutchinson of Ship Your Car Now

Auto Remarketing is recognizing the 2022 Women in Remarketing honorees in the May issue of the magazine, and will be posting Q&As with each of these outstanding leaders on the website.

Next up is Michelle Hutchinson, who is director of strategic accounts at Ship Your Car Now.

Auto Remarketing: What is the top trend you’re watching in remarketing/ wholesale automotive this year?

Michelle Hutchinson: Technology, for the past year, has been in the forefront of the automotive industry like never before. Where companies in the remarketing/wholesale market used to move truckloads of vehicles from point A to point B, the lack of inventory has created space for new companies, with new ideas. We have seen the emergence of new platforms allowing remarketing/wholesale companies to search outside their standard go-to’s. Providing them with more options to buy and sell vehicles. With vehicle prices the highest we’ve seen the need for additional resources is greater than ever. Companies are now pivoting from utilize one source to buy and sell, to many.

AR: How has technology/innovation impacted your specific area of remarketing/wholesale the most?

Hutchinson: More and more business is being conducted outside of the traditional methods of engagement. Where once there was resistance to new innovations and technology within our industry, companies are now starting to embrace these changes and realizing the benefi ts it brings to their business and quality of life. The past two years has really brought to the forefront some extremely amazing companies and products that are revolutionizing our industry.

AR: What piece of career advice would you have for someone new to the industry?

Hutchinson: For someone starting out in our industry, I would start by telling them to learn everything they can. Absorb everything you can from those that have been in this industry longer than you. Never stop learning and growing, and know that every minute you invest in knowledge will pay off in the dividends of success.

Treat everyone you meet with profound respect and kindness, because although they may not seem like an immediate client for you, often times they will know someone and may become your greatest referral source. Always provide top-notch customer service and never be afraid to have the diffi cult conversations. Our business is about building strong relationships. When your clients trust you and know that you come from a place of real integrity, they will make the decision to stay with you even when someone with prettier, shinier offers come at them. Believe in yourself.

AR: What is your proudest moment/accomplishment, career-wise?

Hutchinson: After being in the industry for about 10 years, I made the decision to step away for personal reasons. About a year later, I realized how passionate I am about my business. Therefore, I decide to come back and start over. As I began reaching out to those I had worked with prior to my departure, I was overwhelmed with their excitement to have me back and doing what I do best. Coming back, I figured I would be completely starting from ground zero. Which I was prepared for. But the reality was that after years of developing strong relationships with my clients, they jumped aboard my ship knowing I would be there to take care of their needs. I am so blessed by the relationships I have with those that started out as clients and have ended up become friends. Those relationships are my greatest and proudest accomplishment.