Keynote Speaker:
Dave Zuchowski
Vice President - National Sales
Hyundai Motor America
Biography:
David Zuchowski, a 29-year veteran of the automotive industry, joined Hyundai Motor America in February 2007 as Vice President of Sales. Zuchowski is responsible for all sales, sales operations, market representation, field operations and overall dealer relations.
Zuchowski joined Hyundai from Mazda North America where he served as Vice President of Sales and Field Operations.
Zuchowski began his career in 1980 at Ford Motor Company as a sales associate. He has spent 23 years in various executive-level positions including regional manager, product marketing manager, national merchandising manager and field operations manager for the Ford and Lincoln Mercury divisions.
Zuchowski earned his Bachelors of Arts in Communications from the University of Washington.
Hyundai Motor America, headquartered in Fountain Valley, Calif., is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Company of Korea. Hyundai cars and sport utility vehicles are distributed in the U.S. by Hyundai Motor America and are sold and serviced by more than 755 dealers throughout the nation.
Featured Presenters:
Lisa McPherson
General Manager - Sales Operations
BMW Financial Services
Biography:
Lisa McPherson started with BMW Financial Services in 1996 as a Sales and Marketing Manager in the Central Region. During her time at BMW Financial Services, Lisa has held various positions such as: Land Rover Financial Services Program Manager, Dealer and Customer Communications Manager and Pre-Owned Programs Manager. In 2005, Lisa accepted a management position as General Manger, Sales and Marketing in the Central Region. In early 2009, Lisa relocated to the corporate office in Woodcliff Lake, NJ and is currently the General Manager Sales Operations. In this position, Lisa is responsible for program development, RoE achievement, and ongoing dealer communication for all BMW Group Brands.
Lisa received her BA in Humanistic Studies from Saint Mary’s College and her MBA from Loyola University – Chicago.
Lucette Mercer
Vice President - Sales Research
Comcast
Biography: TBA
George Liang
Senior Vice President & COO
DCH Auto Group
Biography:
George Liang, a graduate of University of California at Berkeley (B.A.) and University of British Columbia, Canada (M.B.A.), was Vice President of Banque Nationale de Paris for eleven years specializing in commercial and syndicated loan financing prior to joining DCH in 1988.
He made the transition to automobile retailing by assisting the General Manager at DCH Freehold Toyota where he was subsequently promoted to Group General Manager at Freehold overseeing both Toyota and Nissan dealerships. In 1993, Liang was transferred to Oxnard, California as Regional Manager overseeing six dealerships. In 2001 he assumed responsibility for all of DCH’s LA region dealerships and was instrumental in the company’s expansion to Temecula, California in 2004.
Currently, Liang is Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of DCH Auto Group’s Eastern Region responsible for the operation of all the dealerships in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut.
Beau Boeckmann
President
Galpin Auto Sports
Biography:
Beau Boeckmann was born into the automotive industry. His father, Bert Boeckmann, started at Galpin as a salesman in 1953 and quickly became the top salesman. Bert’s exceptional ability, business savvy and innovative spirit quickly brought advancement and by 1957, at age 26, he was general manager of the company. By 1964 he was president and CEO and by 1968 he was sole owner of Galpin Motors. Beau earned his Bachelor of Science degree from USC in 1992, majoring in Business Administration with an emphasis in the Entrepreneurship Program and immediately after graduating, went into the family business.
Today, Beau Boeckmann is Vice President of Galpin Motors, Inc. – the #1 Ford Dealer in the world for the past 20 years. Additionally, he is President of Galpin Premier Auto Group which includes Aston Martin, Jaguar, Volvo, Lincoln, Mercury, Mazda, Spyker and Lotus as well as President of Galpin Auto Sports (“GAS”), which is a complete design and customization organization with the ability to customize all makes and models of vehicles. GAS became world famous in 2005 when MTV began filming Pimp My Ride on site where Beau was not only on-screen talent but Consulting Producer. One of the most famous segments was created for Earth Day and featured Governor Schwarzenneger revealing a 1965 Chevy Impala that ran on pure B100 biodiesel and had over 850hp!
GAS vehicles have been featured in numerous film, television and print outlets including MotorTrend, AutoWeek and Rod & Custom just to name a few. GAS specializes in builds for individuals, celebrities and large corporate organizations such as the United States Air Force, Disney and McDonalds. In fact, they can build any car, on any budget, from mild to wild! GAS’s motto: “If you can dream it, we can build it.”
Beau has received awards and been honored by various charities, automotive and business organizations. Beau received the first ever Visionary award from the Petersen Automotive Museum. He was honored by UCP/Wheels of Humanity for Partner of the Year, Boys and Girls Club of San Fernando Valley and New Horizons. He is a member of Ford Motor Company’s Product Committee and a member of YPO (Young Presidents Organization). Additionally he has been a presenter and judge at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance in Florida.
Thilo Koslowski
Vice President & Lead Automotive Analyst
Gartner
Biography:
In his role as Vice President and Lead Automotive Analyst in Gartner’s Industry Advisory Service, Mr. Koslowski helps business and IT leaders in the automotive industry to unlock the potential of technology to drive growth and manage technology's impact on business models and processes. His analysis centers around critical topics related to the automotive demand & supply chains, in-vehicle information & communication applications and IT trends.
Before joining Gartner, Mr. Koslowski was a consultant in GartnerConsulting's Executive Market Analysis Program, where he participated in customized domestic and international consulting assignments for vendors in the services and e-business markets. Prior to that, he worked in various marketing positions for a premium, European automaker. Mr. Koslowski graduated with honors from the Technical University (RWTH) Aachen in Germany and holds a master's degree in Business Studies with majors in Marketing, European Economy and Production Engineering.
As Gartner’s lead analyst for the automotive vertical, Mr. Koslowski is regularly quoted in global publications, TV and radio broadcasts including the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, CNET, BBC, Automotive News, PC Magazine, ABC News and others.
Global Analytics Leader
IBM Business Analytics & Optimization Practice
Biography:
Michael Haydock currently serves as a Vice President and Partner in IBM’s Business Analytics and Optimization Services Practice specializing in the area of Customer Intelligence. Michael’s role within the practice is to build an analytical capability which leverages certain large scale computing technologies appropriate for massive data manipulation and advanced numerical analysis in a business setting where time to critical decision provides IBM customers with a key competitive advantage.
Dr. Haydock has worked with industrial clients in retail direct mail, retail store, agricultural chemicals, financial services, insurance, health care, telecommunications, aerospace and transportation. He holds a U.S. Patent in “Efficient Customer Contact Strategies” and has published work in several journals that detail the application of mathematical methods in efficient customer treatments and improvements to optimize supply chains in the service of those customers. These treatment strategies use marketing automation and portfolio management techniques to synchronize business responses across multiple retail contact channels or customer “touch-points” and numerical optimization techniques to insure the proper resource allocation is met at minimum investment risk. Recent work has also included innovations in the area of pricing optimization and multi-dimensional clustering. A highly regarded paper initially introducing the specialized area of longitudinal marketing strategy appears in the book “Industrial Applications in Operations Research” (MacMillan & Press). Research efforts applying novel clustering and optimization strategies are currently being conducted at electronics retailer Best Buy (Minneapolis, MN) and General Motors (Detroit, MI).
Prior to joining the IBM team Michael served as a Vice President of Business Intelligence at Hewlett-Packard. He has served as a founder, entrepreneur, and Director at eLicit, and Decision Intelligence, Inc. Michael also served as President, Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors of Cray Research. He has also held various marketing management and executive positions at Control Data Corporation, and has consulted with senior executives at SAS, Avaki, IBM, and several venture capital groups specializing in the technology markets.
Michael was awarded a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science degree from Florida Atlantic University, with a specialization in Marketing Management. Michael holds a Ph.D. in Applied Management & Decision Sciences with a specialization in Operations Research at Walden University in Minneapolis, MN.
Joel Hockman
Manager - Retail Digital Marketing
Infiniti Business Unit
Nissan North America
Biography:
Joel Hockman brings 10 years of automotive experience to his role as Manager of Retailer Digital Marketing at the Infiniti Business Unit of Nissan North America. He has spent the last three and a half years at Nissan working to develop and implement lead management and digital marketing programs to improve Retailer performance, ultimately driving the highest potential ROI. During his tenure Joel has launched programs that have achieved lower average initial Retailer response times to leads by over 70 hours and increased education and training knowledge across the Retailer environment - all while maintaining a flat marketing investment. Prior to joining Nissan, he spent a year with Gedas/TSystems as a Senior CRM Consultant dedicated to the eBusiness team at Audi of America working on Retailer eBusiness initiatives.
Joel started his career with a major metropolitan newspaper as a display advertising account executive handling primarily retail automotive accounts. This experience provided an opportunity to work for Crown Mercedes Benz in Dublin, OH as Internet Manager which in turn led to a 5 year career with The Cobalt Group in a variety of account management positions.
Joel has a degree in Marketing from Franklin University.
Tom Dobry
Vice President - Marketing
Lithia Motors
Biography:
Tom Dobry is the Vice President of Marketing at Lithia Motors, an automotive retail group with 90+ stores representing a variety of franchises. In this role, Tom is helping Lithia differentiate themselves from traditional dealers with a model of superior customer care. He’s currently integrating initiatives in branding, CRM, and Internet marketing - all with the goal of providing customers with the best automotive buying and ownership experience.
Tom began his career with BBDO, where he worked with the Chrysler brands from 1987-2002. He led regional marketing initiatives and educated retailers about integrating OEM and retailer CRM efforts.
From 2002-2007, Tom worked for Goodby, Silverstein & Partners Advertising maintaining Saturn’s brand reputation while implementing new digital marketing initiatives.
Tom has a BA from Michigan State University and a MBA from the University of Oregon.
Michael McCormack
Principal
MGSCS Consulting
Biography:
Michael operates a Customer Relationship Management strategy and systems consultancy, servicing multiple large clients in automotive and manufacturing. He currently is personally contracted with General Motors as a Global Program Manager within the Global Sales, Service and Marketing division. In this role, he works with the GM IT and Business organizations to successfully align business strategy with IT solutions in the Customer Experience area, pre-sales to after sales. Recent work has focused on evaluation of next generation operations models (comprised of technology options) to plan 5 years of global CE for over 30 countries.
Michael has twelve years experience acting in project management, team leadership and technical roles on multiple sales force automation, contact center, lead management, and marketing information systems projects. Prior to establishing MGSCS, Michael served as a manager within IBM’s Business Consulting Services Unit, specializing in CRM strategic solutions. While at IBM he consulted within the chemicals, technology, and communications industries, but has specialized on the automotive sector for the past 9 years.
Michael has a degree in Business Logistics and Management Information Systems from Pennsylvania State University.
Ed Allen
Vice President - Automotive Industry Business Unit
Oracle
Biography:
Ed Allen, Vice President - Automotive Industry Business Unit at Oracle, has been working in the automotive industry in IT and Operations for 21 years and at Oracle for the past 9 years. His automotive industry experience includes positions managing Supply Chain, IT, Manufacturing and Product Development at Mazda and Ford. He has deep experience in Applied Technology, Lean Manufacturing, International Logistics, ERP systems implementation and organizational transformation. He has had many complex and challenging assignments including developing and deploying international manufacturing systems, managing International Logistics operations and launching vehicle programs in Asia, South America, and Europe.
In his current role as, Ed has global responsibility for Oracle Automotive Solutions across the automotive industry. Ed has detailed experience specifically within Supply Chain, CRM, Procurement and Product Development applications and has helped lead many successful customer initiatives at global Automotive OEMs and Suppliers.
Ed has a BA in Supply Chain Management from Michigan State University and an MBA from Wayne State University. Ed is also an executive member of the Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG) and the Office for Study of Automotive Transportation (OSAT).
Pat Reininger
Vice President - Sales & Client Services
R. L. Polk & Co.
Biography:
Patrick Reininger is Vice President of Sales and Client Services & Managing Director – Pacific Region. In this role, Reininger is responsible for managing the customer development and sale of products and services in Polk’s Pacific Region.
Reininger’s career is built on more than 20 years of business success in a variety of leadership roles. Prior to his current role, Patrick served as Vice President & Managing Director for R. L. Polk UK Ltd, where he was the strategic leader for Polk’s UK business operations including sales, production and administration. Prior to this position, Patrick was based in Essen, Germany where he served as European CRM Director. In this role he was responsible for the commercial development of PolkConnect, an integrated CRM solution that spans the entire vehicle ownership lifecycle. PolkConnect is now utilized in 12 countries and 7 languages, and represents the first global product of its kind which integrates vehicle sales and aftersales information on a common platform.
Before joining R. L. Polk & Co., Patrick spent 14 years working for Chrysler Canada Inc., where he held several positions with increasing levels of responsibility including Manager of Service Marketing & Development. In this position, he was responsible for developing an aftersales strategy focused on revenue generation and improving owner retention. He coordinated national marketing efforts, all Dealer Advertising Association activities related to service and parts, developed retail incentives for service advisors and technicians, and was responsible for the launch of the highly successful Chrysler Predictive Marketing and On Demand program.
Patrick holds a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario.
Mike Spadafore
Manager - Consumer & Commercial Portfolio
R. L. Polk & Co.
Biography:
Mike Spadafore is the Global Director, Consumer & Commercial Marketing for R. L. Polk & Co. and is responsible for CRM and Digital Marketing product and service development.
During his 8 years with Polk, Mike has been involved in a wide variety of Polk initiatives relating to Automotive CRM systems and services, most notably as the designer of Polk’s Lead Scoring / Lead Management offerings and Polk’s Transportation List Access System. Prior to Polk, Mike owned and managed a consulting practice specializing in interactive database marketing and large scale data integration, primarily in the Automotive Retail marketplace.
Mike earned a Master of Business Administration from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Michigan.
David Sturtz
Co-Founder & CEO
RepairPal
Biography:
David Sturtz is a Co-Founder and CEO of RepairPal. As CEO he is responsible for the company's strategy, business development, and operations. A long time car enthusiast, he conceived the concept of an online vehicle repair estimator in 1997 while in graduate school at Stanford, where the Internet was just emerging as a transformational force in business. Prior to founding RepairPal in 2007 David founded a successful investment fund and worked as a technology research analyst for several Wall Street investment banks. He previously held product marketing positions at Pacific Bell Directory (AT&T), and executed strategic roles at several technology start ups.
David has a BA from UC Berkeley and an MS in Engineering from Stanford University, where he was also a PhD candidate. He lives with his wife and three daughters in the Berkeley Hills and occasionally drives his modified Porsche 944 Turbo at Laguna Seca and other local tracks.
Chris Cawston
President & CEO
Strategic Connections
Biography:
Chris Cawston is President and CEO of Strategic Connections, Inc. (SCI), provider of the leading integrated communications and marketing connectivity platform for the automotive market. Under Chris’ leadership, SCI has grown rapidly to become the world’s largest automotive Lead Management service provider and a leader in the design and delivery of automotive retail solutions. SCI’s innovative work with enterprise class web enabled solutions for the automotive retail channel, has made it one of North America’s fastest growing companies.
Cawston joined SCI in 2002 and transformed the company from traditional on-premise application delivery into the innovative and cost-effective Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model. Under his leadership, SCI has grown to become the acknowledged market leader in retail process solutions. By 2008, SCI had become the world's largest supplier of automotive eRPM™ solutions, providing services to automotive retail enterprises and their many thousands of dealers. SCI has now diversified and is also providing retail solutions to telecommunications/cable, health care, insurance and government markets.
Cawston is a dynamic thought leader in the industry with more than 25 years of executive and financial management experience. Prior to joining SCI, Cawston served as president of Magicuts & Premier Salons (MPS), a privately held, international owner, operator and franchisor of hair salons and spas, and grew revenue from $1 million to $300 million. Prior to MPS, Cawston’s experience included the telecom industry and Coopers Lybrand technology consulting and audit group.
Chris is a graduate of the University of Toronto and is a Chartered Accountant. He and his family live in Toronto, Canada.
John Waraniak
Vice President - Vehicle Technologies
SEMA
Biography:
John Waraniak leads SEMA’s advanced vehicle technology strategy, programs and initiatives. His role is to
help members understand the challenges, develop solutions and capitalize on the business opportunities
presented by today’s complex vehicle systems and technologies.
Waraniak is a proven industry leader who has worked for automotive, motorsports, aerospace and consumer products companies for more than 20 years. With specific expertise in systems engineering and product development, Waraniak serves as the primary contact for SEMA members to reach automakers and suppliers on vehicle architecture and systems integration issues. He is also responsible for developing SEMA’s technology briefings and connecting SEMA members to the benefits of OEM-Aftermarket collaboration and technology transfer. Waraniak works directly with SEMA’s OE Relations Department representing the association’s members and the automotive specialty-equipment industry with OEMs, industry associations and academic institutions.
Prior to joining SEMA, Waraniak held executive positions with a range of companies, including TATA Consultancy Services, Johnson Controls, General Motors, Hughes Aircraft, Northrop and No Fear. His visionary and entrepreneurial leadership skills played an integral role in helping these companies develop and implement innovative strategies for adapting best business and technology practices and achieving lean product-process development for growth and improved profitability.
Waraniak has authored numerous industry articles and reports, and is a frequent speaker on the benefits of collaborative product development, lean customization and open systems. He has co-chaired the auto industry’s prestigious Management Briefing Seminars for over ten years where he has been an outspoken advocate for the specialty equipment and performance aftermarket industry with the OEM community.
Waraniak earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan. He has a master’s degree in mechanical and industrial engineering from the University of Illinois and a master’s degree in engineering management from West Coast University. He also graduated from the California Institute of Technology’s Executive Engineering Management Program.
John is an avid industry and motocross enthusiast. He resides in West Bloomfield, Michigan with his wife Terri and their two sons Scott and Jeff.
Tom Vann
Principal
Team Hillsdale Chrysler
Biography:
Tom Vann is the Principal at Team Hillsdale Chrysler, and while Team Hillsdale Chrysler has been around since 1986, Tom believes that real car selling began for him in 1996 when the Internet was first introduced to the automotive world. Since that time, Tom and his crew have sold over 8000 vehicles to Internet-based clients, with revenues from this business alone in excess of over $150M. In addition over 90% of their Internet clients purchased their cars with only e-mail and phone interactions, sight unseen.
Tom has been recognized for his innovative management approach and selling strategy and featured in a variety of publications, including The Automotive News, Ward’s Dealer Business, The Detroit Free Press, The LA Times, The Orange County Register, The Wall Street Journal, Inc. Magazine, The Nikkei Business Index, Road & Track, and Headline News. He has spoken at many Industry Events both in the USA and the UK.
Tom is also the creator of the legendary “Lessons from the Internet Car Selling Masters” training series - one of the most powerful, educational, and emotionally charged training modules in the automotive industry.
Tom has a BS in Economic Management from Michigan State University.
Joanna Sherry
General Manager - Marketing & Business Development
VW Credit
Biography:
Joanna Sherry was appointed General Manager of Marketing and Business Development at Volkswagen Credit, Inc. in the summer of 2008. She is responsible for increasing customer awareness for VCI products and services, improving customer retention through CRM initiatives, developing an e-commerce strategy, and leading all aspects of product & business development for VCI. Prior to her arrival at VCI, Sherry had most recently been the Vice President of Marketing for the Regents Group in Maryland where she was responsible for all aspects of the marketing strategy, B2C internet marketing, direct response marketing, and channel management. She also spent 10 years at Ford Motor Company where she held several marketing positions of increasing responsibility including leading the successful marketing launch of the 2004 Ford F-150.
Sherry earned a B.B.A. degree in Finance from the University of Notre Dame and an M.B.A. from Duke University.
Steve Finlay
Editor
Ward's Dealer Business
Biography:
Steve Finlay is editor of Ward’s Dealer Business magazine, which covers automotive retailing. He has worked at Ward’s Communications for 12 years, initially covering auto production and sales for Ward’s Automotive Reports newsletter. Prior to joining Ward’s, he spent 25 years at a Detroit area daily newspaper, starting out as a crime reporter and ending up as city editor. He is frequently interviewed by local and national media regarding auto industry issues. Two years in a row now, his monthly magazine column has won a national Gold writing award from the American Society of Business Publication Editors.
Steve has a bachelor degree in psychology from Oakland University in Rochester, MI.
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