2008 Faculty List
more speakers coming soon...
President, StoneEagle Insurance Systems
Brent Allen is the president of StoneEagle Ins. Systems Warranty department and has over 16 years of experience in developing software solutions for the Service Contract Industry. He has worked in every aspect involved in the development and application of Administration systems ranging from receipts of cash to claims adjudication and loss control reporting. Mr. Allen has lead the StoneEagle team in over 25 service contract system conversions and implementations. He and the team of managers at StoneEagle have created one of the foremost solutions in credit card payment processes for third party administrators.
Field Operation Manager, Van Tuyle/MPP/Old United
Kent Anderson's scope of work includes overseeing the best practices of claims handling processes for automotive, R.V. motorcycle and ATV service contracts generated by a network of auto dealerships and agents nationwide. Mr. Anderson has 24 plus years in the Service Contract provider business with experience in product development, claims administration, underwriting, and loss control.
.jpg)
CEO, Binary Automotive Solutions, Inc.
Mr. Binkley is the founder and chief executive officer of Binary Automotive Solutions (BAS). Prior to founding BAS Jim served as chief executive officer of Dent Zone Marketing Group. Previously, Jim had joined Aon and served as Vice President of Product Development and Vice President of Risk Management for Virginia Surety Company. Jim has successfully developed various automotive certification/merchandising marketing programs, and marketed various document technology solutions and promotional programs for automotive dealers. Jim's 25 year automotive career began at Ford Motor Company and COIN Dealership Systems, Inc. following graduation from Ferris State University.
Kerper-Bowron
Lee Bowron is a former Chief Actuary who has been in the insurance industry for 17 years. Lee is an Associate of the Casualty Actuarial Society ("CAS") and a Member of the American Academy of Actuaries. He is a member of the CAS Ratemaking Committee which evaluates and publishes actuarial research on ratemaking. In addition to publishing the above paper with John Kerper, Lee has written several articles for industry publications, including Best's Review and Contingencies, and is a frequent speaker at CAS meetings. He is an approved actuary for captive insurance feasibility studies in South Carolina and the District of Columbia.
President, Carr Appraisals
L'Tonya (LT) Carr is the president of Carr Appraisals, Inc. She and husband Stephen founded Carr Appraisals as a regional service provider, which became nationwide in 1989. In 2001, Carr Appraisals became 100% web based, dramatically reducing inspection processing time.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, The Warranty Group, and Chairman, Resource Automotive
David L. Cole is Chairman and CEO of The Warranty Group and Chairman of Resource Automotive. Mr. Cole is responsible for The Warranty Group's business worldwide, including TWG Home Warranty Services, Inc., TWG Innovative Solutions and Resource Automotive, as well as The Warranty Group's domestic and international underwriting arms, Virginia Surety Company, Inc. (VSC) and London General Insurance (LGI).
Mr. Cole is a 1972 graduate of the University of North Carolina and has over 30 years of insurance industry experience.
Mr. Cole began his career with Ford Motor Credit in 1972, working for a Ford dealership as a Finance and Insurance Manager before joining Aon Corporation in 1976. He served in various capacities within Aon until 1989 when he relocated to the United Kingdom to assume the newly created position of President of Ryan Insurance Group Europe and of London General Insurance Company, Ltd., Aon's principle property and casualty company serving the European market. After a successful four-and-a-half years, Mr. Cole returned to the United States to assume the position of Chairman, President and CEO of Aon's principle property and casualty company serving the domestic market, Virginia Surety Company, while continuing to serve as president of LGI.
In 1994, Aon Warranty Group was formed to continue to develop and take advantage of Aon's premier position in the consumer extended warranty business on a global basis. As chairman of The Warranty Group, Mr. Cole oversees the company's expansion into new foreign markets. Current markets include Europe, South America, Australia and Asia. Under Mr. Cole's leadership, The Warranty Group's property and casualty underwriting companies and consumer extended warranty/customer care operations continue to strengthen their industry leadership position while providing creative and innovative solutions to client needs.
iPartners
Tom is a principal and co-founder of iPartners, LLC. In his current role as VP of Technology & Operations, Tom is responsible for the solution architecture and oversees customer implementation and solution delivery. Tom has 20 years of IT experience including software development and full project lifecycle consulting work. Prior to starting iPartners, Tom spent 9 years as a senior manager for a leading Business Intelligence and Performance Management consulting company. He has successfully implemented solutions in a variety of industries including Insurance and Financial Services. He is the Chief Architect of the Insurance Scorecard, a SaaS (Software as a Service) performance management application designed specifically for the Property & Casualty Insurance and Vehicle Service Contract industries. Tom is a graduate of the University of Georgia with a BS in Computer Science. He lives in Alpharetta, GA and is married with two daughters 7 and 5.
Manager of Employee Sales and Dealer Retail Sales Training, GMAC
Sandi Dixon joined GMAC's Educational Services in 1999 as a sales trainer bringing many years of dealer consulting and F&I fill-in experience to the training position. Ms. Dixon has been instrumental in redesigning and training the F&I class and the GMAC sales series, including development of an electronic finance and insurance profit center analysis tool. Ms. Dixon spends much of her time training on GMPP with a focus on service aisle sales.
Allstate
Lisa Faciane has joined ACD as director of claims operations of First Colonial Insurance Company. Lisa is responsible for supporting and helping to grow ACD’s vehicle service contract division. Her previous experience includes developing and managing a claims support system which serves several key distribution partners encompassing auto and recreational dealerships, financial institutions, and other national relationships. Lisa comes to Allstate with 25 years in the vehicle services industry. She was previously vice president, claims/customer service at the Assurant Solutions ARVS division in St. Petersburg,
President, Mosaic Interactive, LLC
Jim Ganther is the co-founder and president of Mosaic Interactive, LLC, a developer of web-based legal compliance programs for automobile, motorcycle and RV dealers. He is a member of the National Association of Dealer Counsel, and was honored as a member of F&I Management and Technology Magazine's "Who's Who in F&I". He is widely published on legal compliance topics and is a frequent speaker to the automobile industry. Mr. Ganther received his undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame, and his law degree from the University of Notre Dame Law School.
Vice President, Industry Relations, Mitchell International
Greg has 18 years automobile service and insurance experience. Prior to joining Mitchell International, Greg was vice president, material damage claims for GMAC Insurance, Personal Lines where he oversaw all auto and recreational vehicle repair programs as well as the used vehicle extended service contract program. While at GM; Greg served on the General Motors Dealers Fixed Operations Advisory Board as well as the GM Safety Council. He also served six years on the I-Car Education Foundation
President, Service Payment Plan, Inc.
Robert A. Hymen is President and Founder of Service Payment Plan, Inc. (SPP). Mr. Hymen is responsible for overseeing all Marketing and financial activities of SPP.
SPP began providing payment programs for automobile service contracts in 1984. Today, SPP provides payment programs for American Honda Finance, General Motors, Gulf States Toyota, JM&A, Toyota Financial Services, as well as most of the major independent service contract administrators.
Mr. Hymen has spent considerable time in dealerships training and implementing service drive programs.
Mr. Hymen is a 1975 graduate of the University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics. Mr. Hymen received his JD in 1978 from IIT Chicago Kent College of Law. Mr. Hymen is a member of the Illinois and Arizona Bar.
Director of Product Management, DealerTrack Aftermarket Services, Inc.
Kumar Kathinokkula is Director, Product Management at DealerTrack Aftermarket Services, Inc. He is responsible for the development and management of the DealerTrack Aftermarket Network and SCS Auto™ products, which enable providers to sell and administer aftermarket F&I products. Previously, he was Director of Project Management at NAT, Inc., a leading provider of extended warranty and service contract solutions to the automotive industry, from 2004 until its acquisition by DealerTrack in 2005. Prior to joining NAT, Mr. Kathinokkula served as a Director and Microsoft Technical Champion at CGI. Earlier in his career, he was a Senior Consultant with Deloitte Consulting. He has a Master's Degree in Environmental Engineering from the University of Missouri-Rolla and a Bachelor's Degree in Chemical Engineering from Osmania University, India.
Kerper-Bowron
John Kerper's practice focuses on providing actuarial services to insurance companies which insure vehicle service contracts and related products, including "GAP". John is considered an industry expert in the field of vehicle service contracts and has written several papers on the analysis of service contract and extended warranty liabilities. He is also a frequent speaker at seminars on these topics. John Kerper and Lee Bowron co-authored the paper "An Exposure Based Approach to Automobile Warranty Ratemaking and Reserving" which was recently published by the Casualty Actuarial Society. John has been a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries and a Member of the American Academy of Actuaries since 1987
Founder, Automotive Risk Management Solutions
Don's career in the automotive industry began in 1975 as a technician and retail sales representative at Firestone Tire and Rubber Company. After several years it became clear that he was better suited to communicating with customers and selling additional needed repairs and maintenance. That realization launched Don into a successful 12-year stint in the service department arena of new car dealerships where he was ranked as a top dealership performer seven years in a row. In addition to his role as Senior Service Advisor at a large General Motors dealership in the Chicago area, Don contributed in converting a number of the dealership's manual systems and processes into automated computerized systems.
In 1990 Mr. Larsen left the retail sector to join Brokerage Professionals, Inc. as a field auditor working with the various independent vehicle service contract administrators for which The Travelers Indemnity Company insured VSC programs. Don was responsible for working with each administrator in the area of auditing high loss dealers as well as participating in annual claim/underwriting compliance audits for each administrator.
Don was named Assistant Vice President of Loss Control in 1999 and his responsibilities were expanded to include directing and monitoring the loss control efforts of each of the administrators, organizing and directing annual audits of the administrators in cooperation with the insurers and managing dealership/consumer complaint and litigation resolution.
In seventeen years with Brokerage Professionals, Don developed policies and procedures for measuring and regulating losses related to vehicle service contract programs and was instrumental in moving efforts to a more pro-active, "start right - stay right" approach to loss control. He led a team approach between company departments to improve communication and cultivate positive ideas and relations. He also organized and facilitated annual conferences involving several service contract administrators and a variety of aftermarket vendors to discuss current industry changes and issues.
Don designed and implemented a loss experience analysis and reporting system, which allowed each dealership's performance to be measured and identify undesirable trends. This system generated reports which served as a basis for ongoing discussions with program administrators, agents, dealers, and insurers virtually eliminating the need for comprehensive and costly on-site dealership audits.
In 2007 Don founded Automotive Risk Management Solutions ("ARMS") to address the needs of businesses in the vehicle service contract industry. ARMS works with insurance providers, third party administrators, automobile dealers and private equity firms providing loss experience analysis, third party administrator claim/call center process evaluation and training, implementation of industry best practices, dealership loss control evaluation, performance reviews/audits and training, new dealership service department initiation/orientation and numerous related services.
With over 30 years experience, Don brings unique perspective, communication and follow-up skills that provide invaluable solutions to the vehicle service contract and automotive dealership industries at a time when cost containment and quality service are essential.
Risk Manager-Service Contracts, Allstate Credit Division, Allstate Insurance Company
Eric Maerker joined Allstate Credit Division in August of 2007 serving as Service Contract Product Manager. Eric graduated from Virginia Tech and worked for Ford Parts and Service Division and then for Chevrolet Division. After moving to retail automotive sales and service Eric joined AON where he served as Vice President of Risk Management for Virginia Surety Company. Eric founded Warranty Risk Services and produced the inaugural Vehicle Service Contract Administrator's Conference in 2005.
President and CEO, The Warranty Group
CEO of Resource Automotive
Mark H. Mishler is the president and chief operating officer, responsible for claims administration, information technology, underwriting, actuarial, and pricing. In addition to these duties, he is responsible for all sales and marketing activities related to the North American auto segment of the company. Mark also works directly with Mr. Cole and all business and service support operations to enhance the operational and strategic efficiencies of the Group.
Manager, Sales Support, Ford Motor Credit Company
Tom has more than 33 year experience in the automobile business. His experience includes 12 years in automotive retail. tom has been with Ford Motor Credit Company since 1984 and has held a variety of field sales, marketing and management positions. In his current role, Tom is responsible for developing and deploying sales and marketing support tools for both Ford Credit branches and dealerships. He holds a B.A. Degree from the University of Pittsburgh. Tom and his wife Sandy have been married for 30 years and reside in White Lake, MI.
Secretary/Treasurer, GPWA Actuaries and Consultants
Mr. Petrowski is the secretary/treasurer of GPW and Associates, Inc. (GPWA), an actuarial and consulting firm founded in 1998. GPWA purchased the Risk and Insurance Services Practice from Watson Wyatt on September 1, 1998. Mr. Petrowski joined Watson Wyatt in 1987. His professional career began with Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Co. working in the audit department primarily on insurance company clients. He was subsequently employed by the American Security Insurance Group to work with producer owned reinsurance companies. He has over 20 years of technical and practical experience in the PORC and captive industries and lists as his clients a significant number of major insurance companies, national banks, automobile manufacturers and automobile dealers/dealer groups.
Co-CEO, MenuVantage
Robert M. Steenbergh, Esq., (rms@menuvantage.com) is co-CEO of MenuVantage, (www.menuvantage.com) the market's premier web-based menu selling system. Prior to founding MenuVantage, Robert was president of Wizard Finance Systems, a sub-prime software company acquired by LeaseLink whose systems are still in use nationwide today. Before taking over Wizard Finance his experience was that of a former trial attorney, originally from New York City, then exclusively representing dealers in Florida in actions brought against them by consumers. Robert co-founded MenuVantage in late 2003 and in addition to his CEO duties, is responsible for keeping the focus of MenuVantage on legal compliance and the on-going development of additional compliance functionality.
Information Access Systems, Inc., Platinum Level OnBase Solution Provider
Ms. Superdock has more than a decade of experience in Information Systems Consulting and is a recognized pundit in the areas of enterprise content management (ECM) and disaster recovery having spent several years at SunGard Availability Services. Pam speaks to thousands of executives and systems users annually about the automation and re-engineering of business processes through the utilization of workflow. Most recently, Pam has been engaged in one of the largest ECM implementations in the State of Florida consisting of a 1,200-user, enterprise-wide OnBase deployment with over 40 automated workflow processes.
