Collection solutions provider Harvest Strategy Group recently enhanced its senior leadership team with the addition of Jason Nesbit as vice president of business development.
The company highlighted Nesbit’s more than 20 years in the ARM industry will enable Harvest to expand the reach of its services to new verticals within the industry and further enhance its operational platform.
“Harvest Strategy Group represents the ideal situation for me — a compelling product, a well-respected brand and a leadership team fully engaged in providing exemplary programs and solutions to its customers,” Nesbit said. I look forward to being an active partner in the growth of the organization.”
Nesbit’s background includes operational and leadership roles in various accounts receivable management disciplines. He served the past 12 years as a member of the executive team at Security National Automotive Acceptance Co. (SNAAC), where his responsibilities included strategic oversight of customer engagement, operational compliance, and pre- and post- charge-off recovery initiatives.
Nesbit is certified by ACA International as a Credit and Compliance Officer.
“At the core of Harvest is a team of creative and highly experienced leaders. Jason’s addition will allow us to continue to build upon that foundation and provide an even higher level of service to the ARM industry. We are thrilled to welcome Jason to the Harvest team,” Harvest Strategy Group chief executive officer David Ravin.
Beepi said Monday it has formed a three-member advisory board that includes a wealth of experience in both the White House, U.S. Cabinet and the auto industry.
Those advisers are:
- Larry Summers, who was the 71st secretary of the Treasury under President Bill Clinton. Summers also headed President Barack Obama’s National Economic Council and was a key figure in the auto bailout. Summers is also a former Harvard University president and chief economist at the World Bank.
- Jim Messina, deputy chief of staff to Obama from 2009 to 2011. Messina has also served as a consultant to Beepi plus companies like Uber and Airbnb.
- Marjorie Ehric Lewis, whose background includes 30 years as an attorney for automakers on legislative and franchise affairs. Lewis, recently retired as a partner at Gibson Dunn, also represented Beepi previously.
Their roles will be to provide Beepi with ongoing counsel on the auto business, consumer empowerment and state/federal regulations.
“Bringing these great minds together is a testament to Beepi’s leadership position and long-term value,” said Ale Resnik, Beepi’s chief executive officer and co-founder. “2016 promises to be another year of growth for Beepi, and we remain committed to delighting customers by fundamentally changing the long-outdated process of buying and selling cars.”
Tom Folliard plans to retire from his role as CarMax chief executive officer prior to the end of 2016, with Bill Nash expected to take on the reins at that point, the company announced Monday.
Here’s how the changeover will work:
As the result of a multi-year management succession plan, Nash — previously executive vice president of human resources and administrative services — officially became CarMax president Monday.
And Cliff Wood — previously executive vice president of stores — became chief operating officer, a move also effective Monday.
Folliard intends to retire as CEO before the year ends, and then Nash would step in as CEO. The CarMax board of directors expects Folliard will stay on as the non-executive chairman of the board.
“Tom Folliard has built an exceptional management team at CarMax, positioning the company for continued growth,” said Bill Tiefel, chairman of the board. “The execution of our long-term succession plan, with Bill as president and Cliff as COO, ensures a seamless management transition and the continuity of the company’s culture.”
Folliard has been president and CEO since May 2006. He has worked at CarMax for 23 years.
Nash became EVP of HR and administrative services in 2012 and has been with the company since 1997.
Wood has been with CarMax since 1993 and became EVP of stores in 2012.
A new, pre-IPO car manufacturer that looks to compete with automakers such as Tesla Motors has hired two new executives.
Mullen Technologies Inc. has promoted Paul Saluzzi as its new chief operating officer, and Gary Rosenzweig as executive vice president.
The new California-based electric vehicle manufacturer and distributor aims to provide a variety of affordable electric cars to the American and world market.
Currently, the company manufactures a proprietary USDOT-certified four-door electric sedan.
Management said the automaker is in negotiations with several international vehicle manufacturers to “develop joint ventures to bring quality, cost-effective vehicles to the United States for certification and distribution.”
Highlighting the background of the two new hires, Saluzzi brings 20 years of experience in the financial industry with him to the new COO position. He most recently served as the global director of the Friends & Family Program for IPOs at Merrill Lynch for 16 years.
The executive has supervised over 2,000 initial public offerings in his career, and personally managed IPOs for clients, such as NetFlix, HerbaLife, Hertz, Dream Works and BlackStone Group.
“Today begins a new era in the evolution, advancement and expansion of Mullen Technologies, Inc.’s quest to become the largest electric car manufacturer and distributor in the world,” said David Michery, chief executive officer of Mullen Technologies. “Mr. Paul Saluzzi, with his 16 years of experience at Merrill Lynch, along with his expertise of the public markets and connections to some of the most powerful individuals on earth, gives Mullen a competitive edge and window of opportunity to expand its enterprise on a global level.”
Rosenzweig, the new EVP, has worked with public and private companies in acquisitions, distribution, production development and various operating integrations for the past 17 years as president and producer of Rosensweig Co. The automaker shared he has relationships with marketing and advertising companies, such as, Grey Advertising, Saatchi & Saatchi, Bloom, ITN, Carrot, Hudson Media, McCann Ericson, Comcast Cable and many others.
Rosenzweig will operate in the newly formed Mullen Manhattan Financial Center in New York.
“Mr. Rosenzweig is a key element to the success of Mullen and we are proud to have him on our team,” said Michery. “One of Mr. Rosenzweig’s primary responsibilities will be to properly express the quality of our vehicle line, the business model to compete with Tesla, and expose the benefits of investing in Mullen’s plans compared to start-up companies like Faraday Future. Mullen relies on honest and fair ideals and common sense business practices to bring the best valued product to the American consumer.”
While the federal government has legislative updates on its mind in anticipation of future groundbreaking technologies, like autonomous vehicles, various consumer protection agencies are getting in on the conversation in hopes of making changes for consumer safety.
In a formal petition, created by Consumer Watchdog, the Center for Auto Safety and Joan Claybrook (former NHTSA administrator), the collective urges NHTSA to mandate safety features, instead of allowing the industry to self-regulate features.
Saying that many newer technologies may not be included in less-expensive vehicles, to cut costs, unless mandated by the government, the petition seeks support from NHTSA to require “Automatic Emergency Braking” (a set of three technologies that combine radar, LIDAR [reflected laser light], and cameras to prevent collisions) as standard equipment.
Here’s a summary of the technology, as listed by the consumer advocates:
- Forward Collision Warning alerts a motorist (via audio or visual signals) that a collision with a car in front is imminent.
- Crash Imminent Braking intervenes when the driver does not respond to the Forward Collision Warning; it automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision or reduce the vehicle's speed at impact.
- Dynamic Brake Support applies supplemental braking when the braking applied by the driver is insufficient to avoid a collision.
NHTSA announced in November that automatic emergency braking, or AEB, will be added to its 5-Star Rating System as a recommended safety technology for model-year 2018. While it is not currently mandatory equipment, NHTSA and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety said in November that 10 major vehicle manufacturers have committed to making AEB a standard feature on all new vehicles.
FCA US names safety advocate & rolls out 'Recall Central'
In other safety-related news, FCA US LLC announced last Friday that it has appointed Kristen Kreibich to fill the new role of safety advocate.
According to the company, Kreibich will be tasked with the role of “enriching the safety culture” at FCA US, which includes being responsible for promoting greater awareness of vehicle and occupant safety, both internally for FCA employees and externally with regulators, industry observers and trade associations.
Her experience includes over 20 years of manufacturing, regulatory and safety involvement. She previously served as the manager of vehicle safety planning for FCA US.
“Because of my background, I am passionate about vehicle safety,” Kreibich said. “It’s a topic of vital importance and my mission will be to ensure it remains top of mind, universally. Because we are all stakeholders — my colleagues here at FCA US, my regulatory counterparts, third-party ratings groups, dealers and especially our customers.”
The safety advocate position is being added to FCA’s Vehicle Safety and Regulatory Compliance organization, or VSRC.
“Everyone is a safety advocate at FCA US, because safety considerations are baked in to every component of every product we make,” said Mike Dahl, FCA’s head of VSRC. “But Kristen’s appointment is the embodiment of this mindset. She is our new safety ambassador.”
FCA also announced Thursday the impending implementation of its “Recall Central,” a new Internet portal aimed at consolidating recall campaign information for dealers to better assist their customers. The company also says it has more than doubled the number of professionals it has assigned to its vehicle-safety organization to help identify potential defects and respond to them quicker.
FCA and NHTSA are currently working together, along with others in the industry, to encourage customers to respond to recall notices and increase their completion rates as well as improve the customer service provided to them.
Audi adds new government affairs roles
Audi also announced last Friday that Brad Stertz will take on the role of director, Audi Government Affairs, while Tom Baloga has joined the company as senior director, Audi Government Affairs and head of a new Sacramento office.
The company says that both Stertz and Baloga will represent Audi’s interests in a range of topics, including automated vehicle deployment, electric vehicles and charging infrastructure, connected vehicle technologies, safety, cyber security, emissions regulations and trade.
“Technology is transforming the car business and nowhere is that happening more rapidly than in America,” said Scott Keogh, president at Audi of America. “We intend to stand at the forefront of this revolution. These two new representatives will put Audi in the middle of decisions shaping the future.”
To read more about the current dialogues going on in Washington between the automotive industry and legislators, including commentary on vehicle safety and future automation, read our previous story here.
ServNet Auction Group’s president Kevin Brown recently introduced the association’s board of directors.
Planning for a busy year ahead, the recently appointed Brown acknowledged the contributions of ServNet members past and present who are transitioning into new roles within the organization.
"It is an honor for me to serve as ServNet's president, and to work with some of the very best people in the auction industry who give tirelessly of their time and resources on behalf of our organization,” Brown said. “Their efforts ensure the continued success of ServNet as a whole as well as our individual auction members.”
Formerly the group’s president, Patty Stanley of both Carolina and Indiana Auto Auctions now serves as the chairman of the board. Ben Brasher, of Brasher’s Auctions, will serve as vice president, while Eric Autenrieth, of Indiana Auto Auction, is now the group’s treasurer.
Steve DeLuca, the general manager of Auto Auction of New England, and Rob Brasher, of Brasher’s Salt Lake Auto Auction, replace Bill Williams (Flint Auto Auction) as ServNet’s directors. Rob Thompson, of Mid-State Auto Auction, maintains his position on the board as a director.
DeLuca, named by Auto Remarketing as a member of 2015’s inaugural class of “Remarketing & Used-Car Industry’s 40 Under 40,” said, "It is an exciting opportunity to work in league with such a strong peer group on behalf of all the auctions in the ServNet group."
Growing up in the business, Rob Brasher looks forward to serving on ServNet’s board.
"As one of ServNet's founding members, Brasher's Salt Lake Auto Auction has enjoyed a long affiliation with the best independent auctions in the country," Brasher said. "As a member of the board of directors, I am looking forward to continuing the work started by my predecessors, ensuring that ServNet auctions offer an unmatched level of service to auto dealers, fleet and institutional accounts, and manufacturers across the country."
In addition to acknowledging the new board members, Brown also tipped his hat to others who have contributed to the board, including R. Charles Nichols, of BSC America, Bel Air Auto Auction and Tallahassee Auto Auction, who has served as a director, vice president, president and chairman of the board. Nichols now serves as a ServNet representative on the AutoIMS/AASC Board of Directors, along with Greg Mahugh, of the McConkey Auction Group, who assists on the AASC Finance Committee.
Doug Doll, of KCI Kansas City, will now serve as ServNet’s liaison to the IARA Board of Directors.
Brown also pointed to ServNet’s CEO Pierre Pons, and his team at TPC Management, to thank them for their support of the organization.
"Led by Pierre Pons, TPC Management has provided administrative support since 2008, and we look for that relationship to continue for a very long time," Brown said. "In facilitating leadership transitions as we move through two-year terms of office, TPC has enabled ServNet Auctions to flourish, commanding respect and prestige as a key voice and influence in the auction industry."
Cox Automotive announced Tuesday the appointment of Eric Jacobs as the company’s new senior vice president of corporate development.
Most recently working for Dealertrack Technologies, Jacobs is now responsible for leading strategic business development for Cox, including mergers and acquisitions, while also continuing to create partnerships for the company’s client portfolio.
Jacobs now reports directly to Neil Johnston, Cox Automotive’s executive vice president and chief financial officer.
“Eric’s leadership and commitment to bringing the best solutions to the table for our customers made him the ideal choice to lead our business development efforts,” Johnston said. “As we look into the future and expand our footprint both domestically and internationally, he will help us to continue to create partnerships that will further the success of our clients.”
Jacobs worked most recently as the executive vice president, chief financial and administrative officer for Dealertrack. He has been in the automotive industry for 15 years of his career and has previously served as the senior vice president and general counsel for Dealertrack as well as the president of Dealertrack Canada.
Jacobs worked as an attorney prior to joining Dealertrack, focusing on corporate mergers and acquisitions and securities law at O’Melveny & Meyers as well as filling the role of audit manager at KPMG.
He received his J.D. with honors from the Rutgers School of Law-Newark after receiving his bachelor’s degree in business administration with a major in accounting from Rider University.
He is also a former certified public accountant.
ADESA announced Monday it has promoted a new executive director of dealer relations.
Ryan Warzynski, who has been with ADESA for more than a decade, has been chosen for the role.
Warzynski, most recently national sales director, in his new position will manage all of ADESA’s dealer contact centers for vehicle inventory at the company’s auction locations across the country.
He will also continue to head up the local auction dealer relations teams throughout the U.S., as well as now managing the company’s national inside sales team located in the Carmel, Ind., office.
In his new position, Warzynski will report directly Keith Crerar, vice president of dealer services.
“Ryan’s experience, great analytical skills and dealer relationships make him a perfect fit for this new role,” said Crerar. “Our dealers and our auctions will all benefit from having our overall ADESA contact strategy under one leader.”
Over his more than 10 years with the company, Warzynski began as a dealer sales representative, and has since held several roles in the different ADESA contact centers during the past decade, including district sales manager, regional sales manager and most recently national sales director.
LotLinx announced the appointment of a new vice president of business analytics on Thursday.
Bringing a wealth of Google Analytics knowledge to the position is David Salinas, who the company says will help better serve LotLinx’ dealer clients by providing transparency and insight into their data.
"We have strengthened our team powerfully by bringing David onboard," said Denise Chudy, chief executive officer of LotLinx. "David possesses a command of analytics like few do in the industry, and with his help, we will be able to better help our dealer customers leverage their data to drive increased business success."
After graduating from Stanford University with a bachelor’s degree in English, Salinas began working at Google as a Google Analytics account manager. According to LotLinx, he helped develop a comprehensive market penetration analysis tool to measure competitive growth and participated in the launch of Google Analytics.
Some of Salinas’ other experiences include founding Namuco, specializing with web analytics at Designory and several digital analytics related positions with TBWA/Chiat/Day.
"I've worked with some of the biggest international brands. I can't wait to empower dealers to increase their digital sophistication and optimize their sales," Salinas said.
Black Book president Tom Cross has been promoted and will now lead Hearst Business Media’s transportation division.
Cross will be executive vice president and deputy group head of transportation at Heart Business Media, while also retaining his position as Black Book’s president.
In addition to Black Book, the company’s transportation portfolio includes Canadian Black Book and MOTOR Information Systems, an automotive data supplier.
In his new post, Cross continues to report to Hearst Business Media president Richard Malloch.
“Tom is the ideal person to lead our transportation group as he is an exceptional leader with rich industry experience and an impressive record of driving growth,” Malloch said.
“Our transportation companies are leaders in the field and we are committed to building on this success and expanding the group through organic growth, new product development and acquisitions,” he continued. “I am confident that with Tom at the helm we will extend our reach and influence, continue to develop breakthrough capabilities and add even more value to our customers.”
Cross has been Black Book’s president since 2007 after joining Black Book in 2003 and serving as its senior vice president and general manager.
He had been with MOTOR Information Systems since 2000, following a career with Ford.
