Oversight

The Board of Directors is committed to reviewing and adapting governance practices to meet changing needs and to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.

AutoCanada Inc. considers good governance to be central to ensuring effective and efficient operations.

The Board is responsible for establishing and maintaining a culture of integrity in the conduct of the affairs of the Company. The Board seeks to discharge this responsibility by satisfying itself as to the integrity of the senior Leadership Team of the Company,

and by overseeing and monitoring the Leadership Team to ensure a culture of integrity is maintained. Although Directors may be nominated or elected by shareholders to bring special expertise or a point of view to Board deliberations, they are not chosen to represent a particular constituency. The best interests of the Company and its shareholders must be paramount at all times.

Paul W. Antony
Paul W. Antony

Executive Chairman

Paul W. Antony
Paul W. Antony

Executive Chairman

Paul is Founder, President and Managing Partner at MAP Investco, a diversified investment management firm. MAP invests in market-leading and disruptive businesses which are looking for both capital and expertise to consolidate market leadership and accelerate growth. While MAP’s closely held status allows it to invest and consult broadly, it maintains a core focus on businesses in software and data/info services, frequently with a vertical focus on automotive and insurance globally. Paul and his team’s efforts over the last 20+ years have generated over $1.5 billion in value for investors and partners.

Prior to MAP, Paul was the Founder, Chairman & CEO at CARPROOF, a North American software and data company. 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 operations without any outside capital, Paul led the sale of a minority stake in CARPROOF to San Francisco-based private equity firm Hellman & Friedman in late 2013. This was followed by the ultimate sale of CARPROOF to IHS Markit in December 2015.

Paul is a native of London, Ontario and is from a family with a strong history in the automobile industry dating back to 1938.

Rhonda English
Rhonda English

Board Member

Rhonda English
Rhonda English

Board Member

Rhonda is currently Chief Marketing Officer of CAA Club Group, the largest independent automobile club in Canada and the owner of several companies in the Property & Casualty and Travel insurance businesses. Previously she held executive roles at CAA Insurance Company and Lombard Insurance Company. Throughout her extensive career, she has successfully driven company growth and profitability through thought leadership and strategic direction in the automotive and insurance industries. Rhonda served on the Board of the Markham Stouffville Hospital Foundation, retiring as Past Chair of the Foundation in 2019. Rhonda currently sits on the Markham Stouffville Hospital Board, chairing the Finance & Audit Committee. Rhonda is a CPA, and CMA and received her undergraduate degree and MBA from the Ivey Business School.

Stephen Green
Stephen Green

Board Member

Stephen Green
Stephen Green

Board Member

Prior to his retirement in 2017, Stephen was Executive Vice President, Legal and Corporate Secretary at IHS (now IHS Markit), a leading global, publicly-traded, Information Services company. In that role, Steve led a team of professionals worldwide delivering support to the company through the legal, compliance, risk management and insurance functions. Steve led the successful IPO of IHS in 2005 and multiple successful follow-on secondary offerings and public and private debt offerings. Steve was instrumental in implementing the company’s M&A strategy, completing over 70 transactions, including the roll up of companies to establish a market leading position in information and analytics in the energy and transportation industries, including automotive, and culminating in a transformational merger of equals between IHS and Markit.

Prior to IHS going public, Steve was general counsel to both IHS and the industrial companies that made up the remainder of the portfolio of TBG, a family-owned conglomerate that, in addition to IHS, included companies with leading positions in various manufacturing industries. Steve holds a BA from Yale University and received his JD from Columbia Law School.

Barry James
Barry James

Board Member

Barry James
Barry James

Board Member

Mr. James is a Board member and the Audit Committee Chair of Corus Entertainment. He is Chair of the Audit Committee and Vice-Chair of ATB Financial. He was the Audit Committee Chair of the Government of the Province of Alberta, a Senator and Board member of the University of Alberta, and a Trustee of the University Hospital Foundation. He is President of Barry L. James Advisory Services Ltd., a private consulting firm. Previously Mr. James was a partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. He has a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Alberta, has been recognized a Fellow of the Chartered Accountants by the Chartered Professional Accountants of Alberta, and also holds the ICD.D designation.

Elias Olmeta
Elias Olmeta

Board Member

Elias Olmeta
Elias Olmeta

Board Member

Elias Olmeta Chief Financial Officer at Vistage International (a Providence Private Equity portfolio company). As CFO, he is responsible for all matters related to Finance, Accounting, Tax and Treasury. In his capacity as CFO, he works closely with the executive leadership team to ensure alignment and achievement of the Company’s financial, operational and strategic objectives.

In 2017, the San Diego Business Journal honored Elias by awarding him their CFO of the Year award which recognizes outstanding financial professionals in the San Diego area. Prior to joining the Vistage team, Elias served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Mitchell International (a KKR and subsequently Stone Point Capital portfolio company). Prior to Mitchell he worked as an executive consultant at CarProof, where he worked on strategy and operational initiatives. Prior to CarProof, Elias held positions at Solera Holdings; first as their Senior Vice President of Corporate Development where he was responsible for Mergers and Acquisitions on a worldwide basis, and subsequently as Chief Financial & Operating Officer of North America leading Finance, Sales, and HR. Earlier career experiences include positions at J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. and Arthur D. Little International as a member of their Strategy and Organization Practice. Elias holds an MBA in Finance and a Bachelor of Arts, Economics from the University of Rochester.

Christopher Harris
Christopher Harris

Board Member

Christopher Harris
Christopher Harris

Board Member

Stephen Carlisle
Stephen Carlisle

Board Member

Stephen Carlisle
Stephen Carlisle

Board Member

Paul W. Antony
Paul W. Antony

Executive Chairman

Paul W. Antony
Paul W. Antony

Executive Chairman

Paul is Founder, President and Managing Partner at MAP Investco, a diversified investment management firm. MAP invests in market-leading and disruptive businesses which are looking for both capital and expertise to consolidate market leadership and accelerate growth. While MAP’s closely held status allows it to invest and consult broadly, it maintains a core focus on businesses in software and data/info services, frequently with a vertical focus on automotive and insurance globally. Paul and his team’s efforts over the last 20+ years have generated over $1.5 billion in value for investors and partners.

Prior to MAP, Paul was the Founder, Chairman & CEO at CARPROOF, a North American software and data company. 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 operations without any outside capital, Paul led the sale of a minority stake in CARPROOF to San Francisco-based private equity firm Hellman & Friedman in late 2013. This was followed by the ultimate sale of CARPROOF to IHS Markit in December 2015.

Paul is a native of London, Ontario and is from a family with a strong history in the automobile industry dating back to 1938.

Jeffrey Thorpe
Jeffrey Thorpe

President, North American Operations

Jeffrey Thorpe
Jeffrey Thorpe

President, North American Operations

Mr. Thorpe joined AutoCanada Inc. in the role of President, Canadian Operations in April 2022.

Previously, Mr. Thorpe was with AutoNation, the largest automotive retailer in North America for 24 years. He most recently held the position of Market President at AutoNation and was responsible for operations in multiple U.S. Markets and providing direct leadership over automotive dealership operations in Colorado, Minnesota, Chicago, Cleveland, Northern California, and Los Angeles. Mr. Thorpe has established himself as an effective leader that builds and mentors strong teams and people. Over his extensive tenure at AutoNation, Mr. Thorpe became well known in the industry for cultivating multiple dozen General Managers and senior leaders within the automotive ecosystem.

Brian Feldman
Brian Feldman

Chief Operating Officer

Brian Feldman
Brian Feldman

Chief Operating Officer

Mr. Feldman joined AutoCanada as Senior Vice President, Operations and Disruptive Technologies in April 2022.

Mr. Feldman has a proven track record of success over his 18 years of experience with AutoNation where he most recently held the position of Senior Director of Sales, overseeing national sales processes and pricing.

He previously held Senior Director roles at AutoNation responsible for Wholesale Parts Sales, Operations Strategy, and eCommerce Retail Operations. Over his time at AutoNation, Mr. Feldman developed subject matter expertise and revolutionized sales, marketing, training, and business development at a scale larger than can be found in the Canadian marketplace.

In his most recent role as the Senior Director of Sales, Mr. Feldman oversaw national sales processes, new inventory, and retail pricing. He managed all eCommerce, phone, and equity mining sales which represented over two million customer leads and 200,000 vehicle sales per year. Additionally, he created and facilitated national training curriculums including eCommerce Manager University, Introduction to eCommerce Sales and Advanced eCommerce Sale for sales consultants and managers.

Samuel Cochrane
Samuel Cochrane

Chief Financial Officer

Samuel Cochrane
Samuel Cochrane

Chief Financial Officer

Peter Hong
Peter Hong

Chief Strategy Officer & General Counsel

Peter Hong
Peter Hong

Chief Strategy Officer & General Counsel

Peter was previously a senior partner with Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP and is one of Canada’s leading M&A and securities lawyers. He 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.

Drew Forret
Drew Forret

Chief Administrative and Transformation Officer

Drew Forret
Drew Forret

Chief Administrative and Transformation Officer

Drew Forret joined AutoCanada Inc. as the Chief Administrative and Transformation Officer in October 2023. In this role, he is responsible for HR, IT, Information Management, Financial Planning and Analysis, and Real Estate operations.

Drew is a finance and operations executive with over 20 years of experience, including strategic planning, general management, HR, financial operations, and the execution of M&A processes. He is passionate about leading organizations toward achieving a high-performance culture.

Before joining AutoCanada, Drew served as the COO/CFO at Voices, the largest global online marketplace matching voice-over talent with clients. Prior to his tenure at Voices, Drew held the position of COO/CFO at CarProof Corporation (now known as Carfax Canada). CarProof revolutionized how used vehicles were bought and sold in Canada through the provision of key information. This information determined whether the vehicle had experienced a previous accident and, if so, it specified the extent of the incurred damage. Before his role at CarProof, Drew was the President of Activplant Corporation. As President, he was responsible for the development of strategy and its sound execution of it. A major focus was transitioning the company from a complex technology solution to a repeatable business intelligence application sale.

Drew obtained his Chartered Accountant designation in 1999 and his Corporate Finance designation in 2009. He attended the University of British Columbia, where he earned his Bachelor of Commerce degree.