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‘AMN Drivetime’ Chats With Tendeco President John Lussier
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By Counterman
The
link hidden, please login to view announces the appointment of John Kairys as its new Executive Director. Kairys was most recently Vice President, Parts and Service Group for TBC Corporation, a recognized leader in the replacement tire and automotive service industry. During his 9 years at TBC Corporation, he also served as Vice President and General Manager of their Big O Tires franchise organization and as Vice President and General Manager of one of TBC’s wholesale business units, Carroll/NTW Tire. His career in the Automotive Aftermarket spans nearly four decades and included executive roles at Cooper Tire, Pirelli and NAPA.
John has served on multiple executive committees and has been highly engaged in many philanthropic efforts, particularly those that make a difference by giving back to local communities in support of youth education and well-being. Additionally, he has served on the AACF’s Board of Trustees for the past 3 years.
“We are thrilled to welcome John Kairys as the new Executive Director of AACF,” said Jon Owens, President of AACF. “John’s extensive experience and deep commitment to the automotive aftermarket industry make him the ideal leader to guide our foundation into the future. His passion for helping others aligns perfectly with our mission to support individuals and families during their most challenging times.”
Kairys expressed his excitement about his new role, saying, “I am honored to become the Foundation’s Executive Director and look forward to leading this incredible organization. The AACF’s mission of providing assistance to those in need resonates deeply with me, and I am eager to contribute to its continued success and growth.”
Simultaneously, the
link hidden, please login to viewis also pleased to announce that longtime administrative assistant Misty Walker, who has supported the Foundation in a part time role for over 9 years, will be transitioning to a full-time role as Operations Manager. “Misty has been tremendous in managing the administrative tasks of the Foundation. Her continued commitment and expertise will be invaluable not only to the Foundation, but to me personally as we expand our efforts to support those in need within the automotive aftermarket community,” said Kairys. The post
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By Advance Auto Parts
RALEIGH, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Advance Auto Parts, Inc. (NYSE: AAP), a leading automotive aftermarket parts provider in North America that serves both professional installer and do-it-yourself customers, today announced that Ken Bush, senior vice president, chief merchant, will retire from the company after nearly 20 years and be succeeded by Bruce Starnes, who has been named executive vice president, chief merchant, effective June 24, 2024.
Mr. Starnes, 48, who will lead all aspects of merchandising strategy, joins Advance from the Target Corporation where he spent nearly 20 years in a variety of product management roles of increasing responsibility. Most recently, he served as senior vice president, merchandising capabilities and operations, where he was responsible for the strategy, capability and execution of Target’s merchandising operations, including price and promotions, in-store presentation, sales plans, negotiations, partnerships and vendor experience. Previously, he served as president of Target India and vice president, digital solutions and partnerships.
“We are very grateful for the many contributions Ken has made to our industry over the past 37 years. He has helped strengthen our merchandising operations and built a talented team within the merchandising organization, making it an optimum time to make a leadership transition. We wish him all the best in his upcoming, well-deserved retirement,” said Shane O’Kelly, Advance’s president and CEO. “I’m excited to welcome Bruce to the Advance family. As a seasoned and accomplished merchandising executive with more than 25 years of experience, Bruce brings a deep understanding of successful merchandising operations and vendor partnerships as well as a proven track record of results at one of the world’s leading retail organizations. I look forward to working closely with him to take our merchandising operations to the next level.”
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By Counterman
Photo caption: From left, Claudia and Dr. David Fry (standing) are pictured as Dr. Fry receives the Wings of Freedom Award in 2022 in Bay Harbor, Michigan.
Northwood University announced the passing of former President David E. Fry, “a visionary leader, esteemed educator and beloved patriarch in the Northwood University family.”
Fry, who served as Northwood’s CEO from 1982 to 2006, passed away Tuesday, Dec. 19.
“Dr. Fry fostered Northwood University’s growth and progress as the longest-serving president and left an indelible mark on the institution,” reflected Northwood President Kent MacDonald. “Today, Northwood continues to advance the mission personified by Dr. Fry to develop free-enterprise leaders across America and around the world.”
Fry began his distinguished career as an economics professor with research and teaching interests in business, global economics and free markets. As president, he focused on creating an environment where this passion could be passed on to generations of students through the University’s philosophy, which values individual freedom and responsibility, earned success, moral law and the importance of free enterprise.
Fry proudly exemplified these institutional tenets of “The Northwood Idea,” the university said.
“Dr. Fry’s legacy includes leading Northwood through significant change, including growing the University academically from an institute to a university and opening the DeVos Graduate School of Management in 1993,” stated Kristin Stehouwer, provost, and vice president, academic affairs. “The more than 23,000 students who proudly graduated from Northwood University while Dr. Fry was leading from the helm – alumni who have gone on to impact private industry – is a testament to his leadership.”
The Early Days
At age 22, David Fry was part of an extraordinary faculty class recruited to Northwood in 1965. He became an intellectual descendant of Dr. V. Orval Watts, Northwood’s first legendary faculty member who gave shape and form to The Northwood Idea. Beloved in the classroom, Fry was named “Outstanding Teacher of the Year” by students in 1967 and 1968.
Fry was so talented that the school’s founders – Arthur and Johann Turner and Gary and Willa Stauffer – promoted him to an administrator role in 1969. In 1971, the founders gave him a mission to plant seeds of enterprise in Indiana, where he flourished. As much as he enjoyed teaching, he had an inherent gift to lead, inspire optimism, and influence different constituencies to share a common dream.
Along the way, he had taken time to establish solid academic credentials. Just as the school’s fortunes started to sour in the mid-1970s, Fry had fortuitously taken a sabbatical to earn his doctorate in business administration.
In a historic move, the Northwood Board of Trustees appointed Fry president and CEO of the Northwood Institute in 1982, making him one of the youngest college presidents in the United States.
Nancy Barker, a Midland resident who has served multiple roles with Northwood since 1971, including vice president of university relations, reflected on how he started as a young professor and eventually became one of Northwood’s greatest leaders.
“David evolved over the years. He was respected and had a wonderful relationship with the professors because he had been a faculty member and fully understood their important role in the classroom and for the success of Northwood,” Barker said. “David was a dynamic and challenging leader. He expected and encouraged those around him to do their best and gave them the support and opportunity to do that. His officers were a team who worked pretty much 24/7, as did he. David took the original Turner-Stauffer vision to a whole new level; his impact was international and yet still very personal.”
“All our lives were devoted to Northwood, this small growing institution, and Dr. Fry was our leader who paved the way.”
As involved as Johann Turner and Willa Stauffer were in their respective husbands’ work, so was Fry’s wife, Claudia. She is known as half the team that transformed Northwood from the early 1980s until Fry retired as its president in 2006.
“Claudia was always there for David,” reminisced Dr. Timothy Nash, Northwood vice president emeritus and director of the McNair Center for Free Enterprise. “She was the Rock of Gibraltar, the anchor in his life who played the more direct role in raising their two wonderful children, Daniel and Julie. Claudia has always had a strong intellect, passion, and interest in The Northwood Idea, global economics and business.”
“David has had a much better and more fulfilled life with Claudia by his side, and Northwood has a larger global footprint because of the two,” Nash added.
Expanding Academic Offerings
Under Fry’s leadership, Northwood experienced major academic expansions, including seeing Arthur Turner’s dream of a Florida campus come to fruition in West Palm Beach in 1983. He also fostered professional development partnerships with businesses and industry, the military, and community colleges.
Northwood began recruiting underserved students who needed access to various delivery methods and options to complete their degrees. Now known as Northwood Online, this was the start of Northwood’s Adult Degree Program, a delivery of content that enhanced access to higher education for adult learners who couldn’t attend college due to time constraints.
The DeVos Graduate School of Management was born in 1993 under Fry’s leadership. Since its beginning, the graduate school has attracted students worldwide. More importantly, its graduates have become entrepreneurs, leaders in the industry, mentors, and role models.
A University Well-Led, A Life Well-Lived
After facing many transitional and financial challenges, Fry and his team elevated Northwood to new heights. Campuses expanded, programs improved and grew and university status was achieved. Once back on solid footing, leaders focused on creative opportunities and innovations that lay ahead, distinguishing the Fry legacy.
“David’s great contribution was leadership,” stated Dr. Robert Serum, a long-time academic leader and innovator of international programs at Northwood, who is credited with navigating significant educational innovations for over two decades, starting in the late 1980s. “There are a lot of good managers out there, but there aren’t a lot of good leaders. David could walk into a room full of CEOs, all of whom had big egos, and before you knew it, they all wanted him as a friend. He was very popular wherever he went with faculty and staff, with other administrators and teachers, and especially with businesspeople. He epitomized what they believed in, free enterprise and every dimension of The Northwood Idea.”
Those who worked with Fry noted he had a brilliant mind and was a spell-binding speaker.
“His eloquence was so outstanding,” stated Dr. Marjorie Hohman, former board of trustee member, Distinguished Women honoree, and honorary doctoral degree recipient. “He was a people person, first. He was very good at connecting with people and holding their attention because he was such an eloquent speaker. He could stand in front of a crowd and captivate them because his command of the English language was superb.”
Hohman admired Dr. Fry’s influence on those he worked with. “The most outstanding thing about him was his leadership abilities and how he was able to get the best out of people,” she said. “He was such a mentor to so many.”
In honor of the tremendous progress made under Fry’s watch, the Northwood community came together to fund the David E. Fry Endowed Professorship to celebrate his retirement.
Recognizing his outstanding contributions to Northwood, in 2009, the University vested upon Fry its highest honor, Doctor of Laws, Honoris Causa.
Most recently, in 2022, Fry received the Wings of Freedom Award, created in honor of Northwood University’s own Dr. Dale Haywood. Northwood bestows this honor upon individuals whose lives have contributed to human progress, individual liberty, and economic and social prosperity.
“Dr. Fry’s legacy lives on at Northwood University, and we are forever thankful for his transformative role in our history,” stated President MacDonald. He continued, “Over my career, I have had the opportunity to research academic leaders around the globe and it is clear to me that Dr. Fry was one of the most transformational leaders in American higher education.”
Donors who would like to support Fry’s legacy can do so through a donation to the David E. Fry Endowed Professorship.
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By Counterman
With a new year comes new leadership at ASE, and current President and CEO Tom Zilke is reaching out to the industry to thank its members for its support of the organization over the years.
In an open letter below, Zilke emphasized the organization’s achievements over his 16-year tenure and laid out his vision for ASE in the future.
In June, Zilke and Trish Serratore, senior vice president of communications,
link hidden, please login to view at the end of this year. Dave Johnson, who brings more than 30 years of automotive-industry experience to ASE, will succeed Zilke come Jan. 1. Johnson also penned an open letter (see below) outlining his goals as he steps into the top spot at ASE. Johnson previously served as global director, service engineering operations at Ford Motor Co. where he led all vehicle repair support activities.
Open Letter from Tom Zilke
It has been an honor and privilege to have served as ASE president and CEO for the past 16 years. I joined ASE in 1991 and have enjoyed working on behalf of automotive service professionals and for the betterment of the transportation industry.
ASE has an incredible staff of 50 people that have an amazing passion and level of commitment. Together, we have transformed ASE in many ways, and I am very proud of our achievements, including the conversion to computer-based testing which opened testing opportunities throughout the year as well as the introduction of the ASE Renewal App that allows automobile technicians to recertify remotely. We have embraced newer vehicle technologies and most recently, ASE introduced testing and certifications for Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and Electric Vehicle Safety.
We have also aligned ASE, the ASE Education Foundation and ASE Training Managers Council (ATMC) to support the career cycle of technicians from initial education through lifelong learning. Through testing and certification, ASE encourages technician learning, which ultimately results in a better repair and driving experience for consumers. Technician improvement also makes technicians more productive and employers more profitable.
Going forward, I would like to see ASE continue its work to redefine the technician image and address the recruitment/retention challenges. Technician image and recruitment/retention are interrelated and changing perceptions will take time. ASE is the logical industry-wide organization to help address these challenges, primarily through the ASE Education Foundation that is working diligently on these initiatives.
I would also like to see ASE continue to add measurable value to industry organizations’ technician training programs and be nimble in adapting to a rapidly changing industry and its technologies. Finally, I would like to see ASE continue to provide an unsurpassed level of service to technicians and employers.
I want to thank everyone throughout the industry for their support of ASE over the years. I am excited about the future with Dave Johnson leading ASE. We share a passion for the ASE mission, and I am very confident that he will take ASE to new heights.
Open letter from Dave Johnson, president and CEO designate, ASE
I am honored to follow in the footsteps of Tim Zilke and take on the mantle of leadership of this important industry organization. I look forward to working with industry stakeholders as well as the outstanding ASE staff to serve the industry’s service professionals and motoring public. I know we have an exciting future ahead of us and I look forward to sharing the amazing mission of ASE.
I joined ASE with over 30 years of automotive industry experience, working previously as global director, service engineering operations at Ford Motor Company where I led all vehicle repair support activities. I am looking forward to using those experiences to take ASE to the next level of technician and consumer value.
I am confident that my experience has prepared me to help contribute to the ASE cause. I have been fortunate throughout my career to work closely with technicians, service business owners, parts suppliers, and most importantly, the customers they all support. I believe that my background and formal technical and business education have prepared me to work with this entire industry ‘ecosystem’ that is part of the ASE team’s mission to champion and support.
One of my first goals since joining ASE has been to learn all I can from Tim and the ASE team, while continuing to build upon the solid foundational elements that ASE is best known for. While I have thoughts and ideas about moving forward, I first need to learn from those on the ASE team who have been working in the trenches much longer than me. Just as importantly, I want to learn about what is on the minds of all various stakeholders to ensure that the ASE team is aligned with what the industry really needs.
I wanted to take on this new role because I could see from my time serving on the ASE board that there was so much good being accomplished and so many possibilities for the future. I am excited to bring my skills and experience to the table in a more significant way to help take ASE to the next level.
There are real challenges facing the transportation industry, from the need to attract and retain service professionals to complex vehicle designs and advanced technologies that demand more knowledge and ability than ever before. Having lived with these challenges firsthand and working within one company to address them, I view ASE as the place where the industry can come together to multiply our efforts, influence and accomplishments, and rise to meet these challenges. It is going to be an exciting and rewarding journey for all involved.
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