Vanguard Dealer Services chief executive officer James Polley announced two promotions this week of long-time executive within the company, a firm that has provided automotive consulting, dealership training and F&I products and services since 1999.
Through a news release, the company said Mickey Quinn, a 30-year veteran and partner at Vanguard Dealer Services and an expert in the dealership F&I process, has been promoted from general manager to president of all agency business.
The company indicated Quinn oversees all of the agency operations and is “an integral part of Vanguard’s success.”
Working alongside Quinn for the past 20 years is Neil Brennan, also a partner in the company. Brennan has served as vice president of sales and marketing and has been promoted to general manager, according to the announcement.
The company said Brennan will oversee the daily operations of Vanguard Dealer Services.
With 35 years of experience in the automotive industry and a founding member of the Vanguard sales team, the company highlighted Brennan has helped shape the culture at Vanguard and has “personally” been responsible for increasing dealership profits across the United States.
With an eye toward current F&I business as well as where that segment could go after the pandemic, EFG Companies welcomed a former senior executive at Cox Automotive to its leadership team on Thursday.
Scott Kaskocsak, who previously was the senior director of enterprise sales for Cox Automotive, is now executive vice president of dealer services for EFG.
Kaskocsak brings 25 years of sales leadership and strategic planning experience in the retail automotive industry to his role, where he will be responsible for bringing EFG’s solutions and engagement model to market through client development and acquisition efforts.
“EFG is well-positioned to provide strategic leadership in boosting dealer profitability in these changing times,” Kaskocsak said in a news release.
“I look forward to lending my experience and expertise to EFG’s clients and leadership team, delivering consistent growth and value-added business insight as we move into the next chapter of retail automotive,” he continued.
As the senior director of enterprise sales for Cox Automotive, Kaskocsak grew and managed a $60 million book of business as part of their largest enterprise customer segment.
Kaskocsak also has served as the vice president of sales for Strategic Marketing, as well as numerous positions for Reynolds & Reynolds, including sales leadership, marketing management, sales and training.
“The decision to bring Scott on to our senior management team is a natural extension of EFG’s commitment to providing clients with profitable solutions to their business challenges,” EFG Companies chief revenue officer Eric Fifield said. “Dealers navigating today’s changing marketplace dynamics are demanding greater value from their F&I partners. Scott provides the critical leadership required to provide clients not only greater F&I profitability, but also strategic business value to generate consistency in their business going forward.
“As the pace of change in the retail automotive industry increases, his team will be laser-focused on ensuring clients are up to the challenge of growing their business during and on the other side of COVID-19,” Fifield went on to say.
Remitter USA is beginning its journey through 2021 with revamped leadership, including a new chief executive officer and vice president of sales.
Now overseeing the white-labeled digital communications platform powered by artificial intelligence that can help finance companies maximize revenue by reducing delinquencies and increase payments through optimized customer engagement as CEO is Larry Chiavaro.
And now part of the company’s executive leadership team as VP of sales is Dave Snow.
Chiavaro arrives at Remitter with more than 30 years of professional experience in identifying and developing growth in the consumer finance industry.
Most recently, Chiavaro was the co-founder and executive vice president of First Associates Loan Servicing / Vervent, building the company into one of the largest third-party consumer loan servicers in the U.S.
First Associates Loan Servicing / Vervent grew from six employees to more than 800, and it successfully sold to a private equity firm in July 2019.
Chiavaro also has held leadership positions for Household/HSBC Auto Finance, NovaStar Mortgage and GE Capital. Additionally, he regularly advises fintech companies and makes strategic investments globally through his advisory company, LPC Associates, and moderates more than a dozen conference industry panels per year.
Chiavaro retired from First Associates/ Vervent in September, but he started this year with a new professional challenge.
“We are looking forward to welcoming Larry to Remitter, especially with his experience in leading a results-driven team and business,” Remitter founder Simon Scalzo said in a news release. “Larry is well versed in what our clients want and need, which will be critical knowledge in the coming quarters as lenders work through the impact of the pandemic and prepare for increased delinquencies.
“Our clients are seeking scalable and flexible consumer-centric digital self-service solutions and Remitter is dedicated to meeting these challenges by delivering a proven platform, technical expertise and client support to fuel increased digital collections,” Scalzo continued.
Chiavaro elaborated about his next career chapter.
“I am honored to have been selected to lead this truly unique and innovative company and share the Remitter solution to my friends and their organizations in the consumer lending space,” Chiavaro said. “We have a great team, strong capability in the market and clear strategy that I’m confident will enable us to continue our rapid growth.”
And now part of that team tasked with continuing that growth is Snow, who joins Remitter with more than 10 years of experience across the consumer finance and accounts receivable industries, having served in senior sales, business development and leadership roles at Spruce Finance, Counterpointe SRE and TrueAccord.
In 2017, Snow founded American Energy, an innovative provider that delivers solar solutions to homeowners across California. Immediately prior to Remitter, he helped develop and grow the sales department at TrueAccord as its senior director of sales.
Remitter said Snow will play a critical role to help achieve the company’s targets by leading an expanding sales team, accelerating sales in a thriving market, expanding the firm’s presence in new geographies, developing new channels and taking a leading role in refining marketing and business strategies.
“I am excited to have Dave join us as our VP of sales,” Chiavaro said. “Dave’s track record of developing markets and attaining unprecedented results by building a cohesive sales team within multiple industries is a perfect match for Remitter as we roll out our full suite of products to lenders in North America.”
Scalzo reiterated how Chiavaro and Snow are joining Remitter at a critical time.
“As our clients work through the impact of the pandemic and prepare for the next few quarters of increased delinquencies, they are seeking out scalable and flexible consumer-centric solutions,” Scalzo said. “Remitter is dedicated to meeting these challenges by delivering a proven platform, technical expertise and client support to fuel increased digital collections for our clients.”
Last week, APCO Holdings announced that Crystal Meinert has been promoted to vice president of human resources for the provider and administrator of F&I products and home to the EasyCare, GWC Warranty and MemberCare brands
In her new role as a member of the APCO Holdings executive leadership team, the company said Meinert will lead the HR function, overseeing all department operations and championing on the company’s people-focused initiatives.
Since joining APCO Holdings in 2017, the company highlighted Meinert has become an integral part of the HR team. Initially hired as director of HR for GWC Warranty, she was promoted to director of HR transformation for the entire organization last year.
Then in March, Meinert took on responsibility for leading the entire human resources department for APCO Holdings and has played a vital role in leading the company’s efforts to provide organizational support for employees during the pandemic and driven the company’s diversity and inclusion initiative.
“I look forward to developing and executing talent strategies that support and accelerate the strategic growth goals for APCO Holdings,” Meinert said in a news release.
“My primary objective is to strengthen and grow an engaged, inclusive, and invested workforce while driving the people-focused initiatives that will move the business forward,” she continued.
The company mentioned Meinert brings more than 11 years of HR experience, holding progressively senior roles as her career advanced.
Before joining APCO Holdings, Meinert served as an HR business partner for Amazon and as HR manager and senior advisor at CVS Health. While at CVS Health, she supported employee relations efforts for more than 280,000 employees across the country.
“We have a high-performing team and a strong focus on recruiting, retaining, and recognizing our talent for their contributions,” APCO Holdings chairman and chief executive officer Fin O’Neill said.
“Crystal’s extensive experience in leadership development, diversity and inclusion efforts, organizational effectiveness and employee engagement will help us continue to advance our company’s capabilities and culture,” O’Neill continued. “I’m confident that Crystal’s commitment to our company’s core values will help accelerate our growth.”
This week, AUL Corp. welcomed industry veteran Corey Ginsberg as the F&I provider’s new software development manager to lead the company’s team building custom applications.
The company said Ginsberg’s experience and technical expertise will help AUL remain an industry leader in providing dealers, agents, finance companies and contract holders with a positive and seamless experience.
For the past 13 years, Ginsberg served as manager of global application development with Assurant. At Assurant, he managed teams supporting 22 applications and successfully developed and supported international financial systems utilized in 17 countries.
Prior to Assurant, Ginsberg served as director of software development at VizuAll, a provider of broadcast production operations management software, and was the director of management information systems for CompuPay, a payroll processing company.
“As we continue to grow and expand our F&I product offerings, it is imperative that our software solutions create efficiencies and an exceptional ease-of-use experience for our clients and contract holders,” AUL chief operating officer and chief information officer Jose Fleites said in a news release.
“Corey’s experience and knowledge of leading software platforms provides us an edge that will ensure our software solutions are second to none,” Fleites added.
The “SkipGuru” has embarked on his next professional challenge.
Alex Price, the frequent Used Car Week speaker and skip-tracing expert widely known as the “SkipGuru,” joined LocateSmarter, a data and analytics company, as director of training and development in a move that was effective Oct. 1.
According to a news release distributed this week, Price will use his experience in skip-tracing to bring LocateSmarter’s online search platform to expanded markets.
LocateSmarter, a subsidiary of CBE Companies, was formed in 2012 with a mission to deliver next generation data and analytics solutions for multiple industries. The company offers batch skip tracing products, an online search platform and compliance solutions.
Price is a nationally recognized expert in skip-tracing and cyber-tracking. He joins LocateSmarter with more than 35 years of experience in the data and skip-tracing industries. His focus is on educating and supporting clients when using tools such as online search platforms.
In his past roles, he was key in developing client training and support documentation to enhance user experience.
“I’m very proud to join the team at LocateSmarter,” Price said in the news release. “Their commitment to providing the best data and experience is like none I have seen before. In my 35 years in the industry, they have the best overall matching logic, and their ability to customize their platform to meet your needs is unparalleled.”
Price was the first skip-tracer to achieve certification through the Certified Asset Recovery Specialist (CARS) National Certification Program and is the only skip tracer admitted for membership to Time Finance Adjusters (TFA).
When not officially representing LocateSmarter, Price teaches skip-tracing classes and is an active blogger for his members-only community at www.skipguru.com.
“Alex Price continues to transform skip-tracing into an art and we are fortunate to have him join our team at LocateSmarter. Alex understands data as it relates to industry need, and his experience in the world of skip-tracing is unsurpassed,” LocateSmarter president Jonathan Brooks said.
To learn more about Price’s new role with LocateSmarter, contact him at [email protected].
An executive previously honored as one of the industry’s Movers & Shakers by SubPrime Auto Finance News now is the president of the Prestige Financial Services.
The business enterprise group within the Larry H. Miller Group of Companies will be led by Richard Hyde, who is being asked to oversee the PFS business operations, lead strategy development and build and maintain a strong organizational culture.
Hyde replaces David Smith, who served as interim president of PFS over the last year, following the retirement of long-time president Bryant Henrie. Smith is currently the chief strategy officer for the LHM Group.
“Rich is a proven leader with expertise in the operational aspects of PFS, who strategically achieves strong results even during shifts within the industry and economy,” LHM Group chief executive officer Steve Starks said in a news release.
“He is also an excellent communicator who builds high-performing teams and cultivates an engaging and inclusive culture. It is a privilege to work with Rich and to witness his positive impact on our organization, our partners and our customers,” Starks continued.
Hyde was previously the chief operating officer of PFS, a position he held since 2013. He has more than 25 years of senior-level leadership experience successfully managing financial companies in various financial industries.
Hyde joined PFS in 2002 as senior vice president of servicing. In addition to subprime auto, he has spent time in credit card, small dollar, manufactured housing and mortgage finance, including holding senior-level roles at CitiFinancial Mortgage, Conseco Finance, and Associates Capital Bank.
He serves on the executive board of directors and the independent auto finance board for the American Financial Services Association. Hyde was named Director of the Year by Conseco Finance.
“I look forward to leveraging my experience and capabilities in the financial industry to ensure long-term success for PFS, and to leading our strong team as we further define and execute our growth strategy,” Hyde said.
“I have been with this organization for nearly two decades and am grateful for the opportunities that the Miller family and the Larry H. Miller Group of Companies have given me,” he said.
There’s been a change in the top leadership position at defi SOLUTIONS.
On Friday, the company that partners with captives, banks, credit unions and finance companies to help them transform their operations announced the appointment of Tom Allanson as chief executive officer.
According to a news release, Allanson will succeed Bret Leech, who is stepping down as CEO and leaving the company.
Allanson has more than 25 years of executive leadership experience in fintech and lending and has consistently demonstrated an ability to build, grow and enable high-performing teams and businesses.
In addition to his most recent role as head of enterprise payment solutions at Fiserv, Allanson has served as CEO of PerfectForms Inc.; president of digital, international and commercial at H&R Block; and CEO and co-founder of TaxNet, which was ultimately acquired by H&R Block.
The company highlighted that Allanson’s unique background of technology management, entrepreneurial and enterprise success will be valuable as defi SOLUTIONS builds upon its product suite.
“I am excited and honored to lead this exceptional company,” Allanson said. “This is an exciting time for defi SOLUTIONS as we have the opportunity to accelerate our growth within the lending industry by providing innovative solutions to meet the complex needs of our clients and their customers.
“I look forward to working with this talented team as we further innovate, extend our investment in the cloud, and strengthen and expand our services, solution offering, and capabilities,” he went on to say.
Leech reflected on his time leading defi SOLUTIONS, which merged with Sagent Auto in April 2019.
“It has been a privilege to lead the talented defi SOLUTIONS team for the past four-and-a-half years,” Leech said. “I am incredibly proud of what our team has accomplished in bringing best-in-class, integrated technologies and services to lenders.
“Over this period, we have built a business that has grown considerably and is well positioned for future growth. And now, as defi SOLUTIONS enters its next chapter, is a natural time to transition leadership with Tom as the ideal person to extend the growth of our company,” Leech went on to say.
Deborah Kerr is chair of the defi board of directors and also touched on what’s ahead for the company now that a change in leadership has been completed.
“The growth trajectory at defi SOLUTIONS is exciting and we are thrilled that Tom will be leading the team in this next stage of expansion,” Kerr said. “His proven track record, technology experience, and leadership skills make him the perfect person to accelerate innovation within the lending industry.”
“I also want to thank Bret for his leadership and wish him the best on in his future endeavors,” Kerr added.
DriveTime created a new executive position and filled it on Wednesday with a former member of the investment team at Wells Fargo.
According to a news release, taking on this newly created role as assistant vice president of corporate development is Chase McDonough, who will be focused on expanding DriveTime’s product offering within the auto retail and consumer lending model and adjacent related businesses.
DriveTime highlighted that McDonough is an experienced investment banker with a deep understanding of the auto and consumer finance space, extensive transactional experience and a passion for learning.
In his previous role at Wells Fargo, McDonough led financing arrangements across a wide range of sectors including auto, credit card, student lending, handset, solar and whole business securitization. He also has experience working on both buy and sell-side M&A transactions in the consumer finance sector.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Chase McDonough to the DriveTime family and to our senior team in this newly created position,” DriveTime chief financial officer Mary Leigh Phillips said.
“We believe his talent and contributions will help shape the future of DriveTime as we strive to create opportunities and improve lives for our customers and employees,” Phillips added.
For more information about DriveTime, visit drivetime.com.
Safe-Guard Products International hired a chief information security officer this week.
Taking this position for the provider of third-party private label protection products for the automotive, RV, marine and powersports industries is Michelle Stewart, who brings more than 15 years of information security experience with her to Safe-Guard Products.
Prior to joining Safe-Guard, Stewart spent time at RentPath, Elavon — which is part of U.S. Bank — The American Cancer Society and AirTran Airways. At each of those operations, she worked to create information security standards and build improvements in IT governance, identity and access management, vulnerability management and application security.
Now at Safe-Guard, the company said Stewart will focus on building data security for Safe-Guard clients, dealers, and contract holders while proactively addressing the evolving cybersecurity threat landscape.
“We are pleased to have Michelle join Safe-Guard as the Chief Information Security Officer,” said Kaizer Siraj, Chief Information Officer of Safe-Guard.
“Michelle’s deep experience within information security across multiple industries will prove to be a big asset to help us continue to secure our data,” Siraj continued.
“We’re excited to have Michelle as a part of our team as we continue to build the technology and infrastructure to serve and protect our clients’ and dealer’s business,” Siraj continued.
To learn more details about Safe-Guard products and services, go to www.safe-guardproducts.com.
