Top executives at Security National Automotive Acceptance Co. (SNAAC) highlighted how they are executing an aggressive growth plan based on a strategy to add a significant number of dealership customers throughout the United States.

To accomplish these goals, SNAAC recently bolstered its workforce with the appointment of two senior-level leaders and the addition of 11 team members, including a number of dealer development representatives (DDRs). SNAAC also launched newly designed military and civilian programs to better serve dealers and customers.

“In our industry, many companies have come and gone over the years; 30 years later, SNAAC is still one of the leading finance companies for dealerships within our market segment,” said Rich Oakes, SNAAC’s vice president of sales and marketing.

“The addition of more than 15 DDRs in targeted geographic areas will allow SNAAC to service our existing dealer base even better as well as increase our dealer footprint nationally, assisting in our growth efforts. It is an exciting time to be at SNAAC.”

Due to this growth, several DDRs were hired to serve dealers in the Southeast, Colorado, Texas, California and Hawaii. Throughout 2016, SNAAC is planning to hire an additional 11 DDRs in the following markets:

—Charlotte, N.C.
—Atlanta
—Raleigh, N.C.
—Sacramento, Calif.
—Chicago
—Jackson, Miss.
—Cincinnati
—Lexington, Ky.
—Corpus Christi, Texas
—St. Louis
—Louisville Ky.

“The ideal candidate for a DDR position is a self-starter who is competitive in nature and motivated by stretch goals,” SNAAC national sales manager Steve Miller said. “SNAAC promoted a record number of individuals in 2015. Our executive, leadership and associate teams are focused on making the company a great place to develop leadership skills and careers.”

This week, SNAAC announced some of the new executives.

The company hired William DeLong as chief information officer. DeLong most recently served as the director of IT at Ameritas Life Insurance. He previously held leadership positions at Ardor Consulting and Triple-I Systems.

SNAAC also hired David May as director of credit. May previously served as chief operations officer at FinCo Management.

The company also added 11 team members including:

• Hongbing Chen, quantitative risk analyst
• David McFarland, business systems analyst
• Craig Rauenzahn, dealer development representative
• Tania Guillot, dealer development representative
• Kevin Thomas, dealer development representative
• Brandilyn Simmons, dealer development representative
• Leilani Ellis, dealer development representative
• Michael Martinez, dealer development representative
• Nicole Raney, dealer development representative
• Lynsey Gaca, HR recruiter/generalist
• Emma Wahl, HR recruiting coordinator

“SNAAC is excited to welcome this group of talented new directors, analysts and team members to our growing workforce,” SNAAC chief executive officer Grant Skeens said. “Our talented team continues to grow, and we are continuing to hire for many positions in various departments in 2016.”

Skeens joined SNAAC last August after having served as chief operating officer at USAA Federal Savings Bank, one of the 30 largest banks in the U.S. and a provider of services to military members and their families. Prior to being named COO, he led USAA’s $12.5 billion consumer lending business.

“I believe the future is bright for SNAAC,” Skeens said. “We have significant opportunities to grow the company and our entire team. SNAAC is a fundamentally sound company with a track record of progress and innovation that started 30 years ago with our military program. Our challenge is to build on that success by bringing additional capabilities to our business that will accelerate our growth in both the military and civilian markets.”

With a 25-year career in banking, financial services and automotive finance, Skeens is quite passionate about the industry.

“I thrive on the challenge that, in our industry, every day is different. The landscape is always changing and highly competitive,” he said.

When asked about his execution plan for the company’s growth initiatives going forward, Skeens said, “Our team at SNAAC is top notch with a deep understanding and expertise in the auto finance industry. I believe we can drive SNAAC’s growth through expanded product offerings, technology innovations and by investing in our associates, managers and executives.”

The CEO emphasized that the SNAAC leadership team is focused on the future. Under the direction of a new strategic plan to expand the company’s portfolio and add new capabilities, career development openings will be created for associates and managers to take on new responsibilities.

“We promoted a record number of associates and managers in 2015 and plan to build on that foundation,” Skeens said. “This is testament to our team’s philosophy of making SNAAC a great place to develop leadership skills and careers.”

The military and civilian programs SNAAC offers were redesigned in record time and launched earlier this year. The company highlighted that the enhancements made have been well-received by dealers, and strong gains in both markets are expected this year.

Skeens added that he’s found SNAAC to be a fast-paced company that is nimble and able to move forward quickly to execute improvements at all levels of the business.

“Our culture is entrepreneurial, fast-paced and open, with room for everyone to contribute to our success,” he said. “I’m impressed by the new capabilities we’re developing to serve our dealers through technology platforms and making it easier for dealers to do business with us.”

Based on his career experience and leadership positions at large financial institutions, Skeens also shared that he’s impressed with the entire team at SNAAC. He emphasized that there are many professional opportunities for current and future SNAAC associates.

“SNAAC’s growth trajectory provides opportunities for all of us,” he said.