EDMONTON, Aug. 22, 2018
/PRNewswire/ - AutoCanada Inc. ("AutoCanada" or the "Company")
(TSX: ACQ), a multi-location North American automobile dealership
group, announced that Raj Juneja has been appointed as Chief
Financial Officer, Michael
Cunningham has been appointed as Vice-President, Finance and
Chief Financial Officer, United
States, and Peter Hong has
been appointed as Chief Strategy Officer and General Counsel.
With the appointments announced today and the appointments
previously announced on July 3, 2018
and August 9, 2018, the executive
management team of AutoCanada is comprised of the following
individuals:
- Paul Antony, Executive Chairman:
Mr. Antony was the Founder, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer
at CARPROOF, a provider of vehicle history and valuation reports.
Under Paul's leadership, CARPROOF grew rapidly, earning a regular
spot on the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 and Fast 500 lists, as well
as the distinction of being named one of Canada's Best Managed Companies for 2011
through 2015. After over a decade of growth, CARPROOF was acquired
by IHS Markit in December 2015. Since
then Paul has remained an active advisor to, and investor in,
companies where his experience in software, data and automotive can
add value. Paul is also from a family with a strong history in the
automobile industry dating back to 1938.
- Michael Rawluk, President: Mr.
Rawluk was previously the Chief Operating Officer of the Birchwood
Automotive Group's 22 dealerships in Winnipeg. In that capacity, he was responsible
for day-to-day operations and long-term growth of the business.
During his 15 years at Birchwood he held several other operational
roles and managed some of Birchwood's dealerships. Mr. Rawluk
brings considerable experience in automotive retailing and
enhancing dealership performance to AutoCanada.
- William "Bill" Berman,
President, United States: Mr.
Berman was previously the President and Chief Operating Officer of
AutoNation, North America's
largest automotive retailer, where he had over 20 years of
experience establishing a solid track record of leadership and
operational excellence. Mr. Berman was responsible for AutoNation's
26,000 associates and the operational performance of AutoNation's
300+ new vehicle franchises. These responsibilities included new
and used vehicle sales and four automotive auctions, as well as
customer care which encompassed service, parts, and 80 collision
centers.
- Raj Juneja, Chief Financial Officer: Mr. Juneja was previously
a senior partner with Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP,
Canada's leading business law
firm. Mr. Juneja has a BComm, LLB and MBA. With a core focus on tax
and related corporate finance, Mr. Juneja was one of Canada's most distinguished financial and tax
lawyers. He has over 17 years of experience working with public
companies, as well as their investors, in solving their most
complex problems. He has extensive experience with corporate
finance, capital markets, REITs and mergers and acquisitions.
- Michael Cunningham, Vice
President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer, United States: Mr. Cunningham was previously
the Chief Financial Officer of Potamkin Automotive Group, one of
the largest automotive dealer groups in the United States, with 16 brands spread
across five states and 34 locations. He was also previously the
Vice President, Finance Western Region of AutoNation, overseeing
over 70 dealer locations.
- Peter Hong, Chief Strategy
Officer and General Counsel: Mr. Hong was previously a senior
partner with Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP. Mr. Hong was
one of Canada's leading M&A
and securities lawyers. Mr. Hong has over 20 years of experience
dealing with some of Canada's most
complex M&A, securities and finance transactions, and advising
public companies and their boards on strategic and governance
matters.
"I am very excited that we were able to add such
high quality, accomplished and experienced individuals to the
AutoCanada executive team," said Paul
Antony, Executive Chairman. "I welcome Raj, Michael and
Peter and look forward to locking arms with the executive team, and
more importantly, everyone within the organization as we embark on
the next leg and evolution of AutoCanada's journey."
"We have filled out our team with a winning combination of
committed and seasoned executives, ready to meet all challenges. I
am incredibly energized to continue with our laser-focus on
operational excellence, while selectively adding dealerships, in
order to deliver long-term profitable growth," said Michael Rawluk, President.
"I have had the privilege to work with some amazing and
accomplished executive teams over the years, and I am extremely
proud to be part of the AutoCanada team. I am looking forward to
what this team can accomplish," said Bill
Berman, President, United
States.
About AutoCanada
AutoCanada, a leading North American multi-location automobile
dealership group currently operating 68 franchised dealerships,
comprised of 27 brands, in eight provinces in Canada as well as a group in Illinois, USA and has over 4,200 employees.
AutoCanada currently sells Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, FIAT, Alfa
Romeo, Chevrolet, GMC, Buick,
Cadillac, Infiniti, Nissan, Hyundai, Subaru, Mitsubishi, Audi,
Volkswagen, Kia, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Smart, BMW, MINI, Volvo,
Toyota, Lincoln and Honda branded
vehicles. In 2017, our dealerships sold approximately 63,000
vehicles and processed approximately 870,000 service and collision
repair orders in our 999 service bays generating revenue in excess
of $3 billion.
Additional information about AutoCanada Inc. is available
at www.sedar.com and the Company's website
at www.autocan.ca.
Forward Looking Statements
Certain statements contained in management's discussion and
analysis are forward‑looking statements and information
(collectively "forward‑looking statements"), within the meaning of
the applicable Canadian securities legislation. We hereby provide
cautionary statements identifying important factors that could
cause our actual results to differ materially from those projected
in these forward‑looking statements. Any statements that express,
or involve discussions as to, expectations, beliefs, plans,
objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but
not always, through the use of words or phrases such as "will
likely result", "are expected to", "will continue", "is
anticipated", "projection", "vision", "goals", "objective",
"target", "schedules", "outlook", "anticipate", "expect",
"estimate", "could", "should", "plan", "seek", "may", "intend",
"likely", "will", "believe", "shall" and similar expressions) are
not historical facts and are forward‑looking and may involve
estimates and assumptions and are subject to risks, uncertainties
and other factors some of which are beyond our control and
difficult to predict. Accordingly, these factors could cause actual
results or outcomes to differ materially from those expressed in
the forward‑looking statements. Therefore, any such forward‑looking
statements are qualified in their entirety by reference to the
factors discussed throughout this document.
The Company's Annual Information Form and other documents filed
with securities regulatory authorities (accessible through the
SEDAR website www.sedar.com describe the risks, material
assumptions and other factors that could influence actual results
and which are incorporated herein by reference.
Further, any forward‑looking statement speaks only as of the
date on which such statement is made, and, except as required by
applicable law, we undertake no obligation to update any
forward‑looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after
the date on which such statement is made or to reflect the
occurrence of unanticipated events. New factors emerge from time to
time, and it is not possible for management to predict all of such
factors and to assess in advance the impact of each such factor on
our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of
factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those
contained in any forward‑looking statement.
Additional Information
Additional information about AutoCanada is available at the
Company's website at www.autocan.ca and www.sedar.com.
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SOURCE AutoCanada Inc.