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
Paul W. Antony
Paul W. Antony

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.

Dennis DesRosiers
Dennis DesRosiers
Dennis DesRosiers
Dennis DesRosiers

Dennis has more than 40 years of experience in the automotive sector in Canada.

Since starting his consulting company in 1985, Dennis has become literally the “go-to-guy” for interpretive insights into the North American automotive industry and is considered by the industry as one of North America’s leading analysts. His thinking is sought not only by automotive executives throughout the value chain but also by government policy makers and the media.

In 2012 he was awarded The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee medal for his contribution to the automotive sector in Canada.

Married with one adult daughter he now spends his spare time at his country home near Stratford, Ontario.

Rhonda English
Rhonda English
Rhonda English
Rhonda English

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
Stephen Green
Stephen Green

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
Barry James
Barry James

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.

Lee Matheson
Lee Matheson
Lee Matheson
Lee Matheson

Lee Matheson is a partner at Edgepoint Investment Group. Previously, Mr. Matheson was a co-founder of Broadview Capital Management and portfolio manager of the Broadview Dark Horse LP, a long/short fund focused on Canadian small cap securities. Mr. Matheson has extensive public company experience having served on the boards of RDM Corporation, AlarmForce Industries Inc., WesternOne Inc., Medworxx Solutions Inc., and Strad Inc. Mr. Matheson is currently a director of Optiva Inc., Echelon Financial Holdings Inc., exactEarth Ltd., and Old PSG Wind-Down Ltd. Additionally, Mr. Matheson serves as co-chair of Canadian Art Foundation.

Elias Olmeta
Elias Olmeta
Elias Olmeta
Elias Olmeta

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.

Jeff Thorpe
Jeff Thorpe
Jeff Thorpe
Jeff Thorpe

President, Canadian 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.

Mr. Thorpe and his family are relocating from Denver, Colorado to Edmonton, Alberta.

Brian Feldman
Brian Feldman
Brian Feldman
Brian Feldman

Senior Vice President, Operations and Disruptive Technologies

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.

Lee Wittick
Lee Wittick
Lee Wittick
Lee Wittick

Senior Vice President Operations & OEM Relations

Mr. Wittick joined AutoCanada in April 2022 in the capacity of Senior Vice President, Operations & OEM Relations.

Mr. Wittick has over 33 years of experience in the automotive industry and has spent the last 15 years with the Humberview Group in Toronto, Ontario, where he most recently held the position of Managing Partner at Applewood Chevrolet Cadillac Buick GMC and Mississauga Kia. In addition to his role at the dealerships, he assisted the Humberview Group in various aspects including Leadership Development, Customer Experience, Group Rewards Referral Program, and Group Marketing. Mr. Wittick and the Applewood Chevrolet Cadillac Buick GMC team grew the dealership to become one of Canada’s top-performing dealerships.

Prior to joining the Humberview Group, Mr. Wittick was the founder and creator of Trade Tracker which was one of the first online appraisal tools offered across Canada.

Mr. Wittick lives in Ontario with his wife and two children.

Peter Hong
Peter Hong
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.

Mike Borys
Mike Borys
Mike Borys
Mike Borys

Chief Financial Officer

Mr. Borys joined AutoCanada Inc. in the role of Chief Financial Officer in August 2019.

Previously he was Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at PTW Energy Services Ltd. where he was responsible for strategic planning, all accounting and financial reporting, information systems, business planning, tax and treasury, and shared services functions.

Prior to that, and in a similar capacity, Mr. Borys was Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Newalta Corporation for nine years where he was also responsible for Investor Relations.

Mr. Borys is a senior finance executive and Chartered Accountant with over 35 years of experience, in both public and private enterprises, who has a strong results oriented, bottom line focus. Mike is a strategic thinker who provides a general management perspective beyond finance and has a proven ability to develop and drive team performance within an entrepreneurial, fast paced growth environment. He is guided by a mandate to drive and coordinate both the strategic and tactical priorities of AutoCanada.

Originally from Montreal, Mr. Borys is married and has an adult son.

Casey Charleson
Casey Charleson
Casey Charleson
Casey Charleson

Vice President, Finance

Casey Charleson joined AutoCanada Inc. in the role of Vice President, Finance in March 2021. Mr. Charleson is a leader in our Finance, Financial Reporting, and Corporate Accounting functions. Previously he was a Director in the assurance services group at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. Casey has a Bachelor of Business Administration from Capilano University and is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA).

Mr. Charleson resides in Edmonton with his wife and children.

Robert Smoczynski
Robert Smoczynski
Robert Smoczynski
Robert Smoczynski

Vice President, Imports OEM Platform

  • CPA, CA Designation
  • Bachelor of Commerce Degree from University of Alberta

Robert has over 12 years automotive industry experience and joined AutoCanada in 2006. He has held various positions including Controller, Group Controller and Director of Acquisitions, where he developed an acquisition team and was responsible $0.5B in acquisitions and divestatures at that capacity. In 2018, Robert was promoted to Vice-President of Asia Brand Platform, from Director of Sales Operations, a role he had occupied since 2015.

Prior to joining the automotive industry, Robert articled at the accounting firm, KRP LLP, in Edmonton where he obtained his Chartered Accountant designation.

Derrick Edmunds
Derrick Edmunds
Derrick Edmunds
Derrick Edmunds

Vice President, Domestic Platform

  • Bachelor’s of Commerce Honours Business Administration
  • Computer Science from University of Windsor.

Derrick started his career in the automotive industry working on the assembly line building Dodge Caravans in Windsor, Ontario, while attending University. After graduating commenced his professional career with Chrysler Financial and over four years worked in various roles that supported both the customers and FCA dealer network. In 2009 Derrick joined Chrysler Canada as a District Sales Manager where he was responsible for maximizing retail sales, inventory management and providing consultation to improve operational excellence for 20-25 dealerships. During his time with Chrysler Canada he had the opportunity to build strong working relationships with several AutoCanada dealerships in western Canada and wanted to become a part of the team, so he joined AutoCanada in 2013. Derrick has worked his way up through several positions within Sales Operations Team at AutoCanada and in April 2018 was promoted to Vice President, Brand Platform FCA where he motivates and leads the General Managers to higher levels of performance.

 

Jonathan Parker
Jonathan Parker
Jonathan Parker
Jonathan Parker

Vice President of Special Finance

Before joining AutoCanada in 2018 as Vice President, Special Finance, Jonathan already had 12 years of experience in the auto industry, starting his career in 2006 selling cars until the summer of 2010 where he transitioned his career to focus on special finance. Jonathan successfully built a special finance department that was one of the biggest in the country. Along with the success in sales he also helped build an entire brand and focus around special finance.

Jonathan’s leadership and knowledge has been instrumental in tripling growth in a three-year span and he is an expert in understanding how the banks operate and buy special finance paper. He also has very strong relationships with the banks and looks forward to graduating the special finance portfolio to prime customers for the AutoCanada dealer network.

Mikel Pestrak
Mikel Pestrak
Mikel Pestrak
Mikel Pestrak

Vice President, Finance & Insurance

  • CA, CPA designation
  • Bachelor of Commerce Honors from the University of Manitoba.

Mikel has 10 years’ of experience in the retail and insurance industries. Prior to joining AutoCanada in 2018 in the capacity of Vice President, Finance & Insurance, Mikel served as the Director of Finance & Risk Management of the F&I department of a large Canadian auto group. Mikel was successful in leading the growth of this department for five consecutive years.

In early 2017, Mikel transitioned into the Special Finance department of the same auto group, acting as Director of Finance and Risk Management where he was responsible for developing and administering the finance, accounting and lending policies, collections, and back-office systems. Mikel’s exceptional leadership and team work abilities helped the company triple it’s growth in just one year.

Prior to joining the automotive industry, Mikel articled with the international accounting firm Deloitte, where he earned his Chartered Accountant designation. During his time at Deloitte, Mikel specialized in the insurance and retail sectors of the firms’ audit practice, working on a number of high-profile public company audits, as well as serving private company clients in the retail automotive sector.

Arthur Crawford
Arthur Crawford
Arthur Crawford
Arthur Crawford

Vice President, Collision Centres

  • Lean six sigma black belt from York University – Schulich School of Business
  • Bachelor’s degree in business administration from Bishop’s University
  • Marketing diploma from Mohawk College.

Arthur has 17 years experience combined in the car rental, MRO (maintenance, safety and operation supplies) distribution and collision industries.
Arthur began his career with Enterprise Rent-A-Car, last serving as an District Manager. During his tenure of nine years, he achieved the most profitable district in Canada. In the summer of 2010, Arthur transitioned to Acklands Grainger serving as a senior manager in the Manitoba region. There, he managed the team to record high sales.

Prior to joining AutoCanada, Arthur was with a large Canadian automotive retail group, operating as Director of Collision Centres. He managed the day-to-day operations and overall direction of each facility, which are recognized as a top revenue generating multi-store operation in Canada (Collision Repair Magazine). During his tenure, Arthur led a major modernization of the collision centre operations, successfully implementing industry best practices.

 

Patrycja Kujawa
Patrycja Kujawa
Patrycja Kujawa
Patrycja Kujawa

Vice President, Information Management

Patrycja Kujawa has spent over 20 years in multiple sectors mobilizing, analyzing and communicating information to support organizational growth. She is most passionate about unleashing the potential of team members to deliver business value through data and technology. Patrycja has been with AutoCanada since early 2020, initially as the Director of Business Intelligence and now as Vice President of Information Management.

Patrycja’s diverse portfolio of experience includes leading multi-disciplinary teams, working her trade as an economist through modeling, analysis and market research and conducting international business development. She has always strived for excellence and received awards and accolades in her capacity as a writer, researcher, editor and business development manager.

Patrycja has an MSc in Natural Resource Economics from the University of Alberta, a double BA from the University of Saskatchewan in Economics and Political Science, a Data Management and Business Intelligence certificate from NAIT and a journalism diploma from Grant MacEwan University.

David Pestrak
David Pestrak
David Pestrak
David Pestrak

Vice President, Acquisition Operations

CPA, CA Designation
Bachelor of Commerce Honors from the University of Manitoba

David joined AutoCanada in early 2017 as a Dealership Controller and shortly thereafter moved into the role of Chief Controller with the Domestic Brands Platform.

In 2021, David advanced into the role of Director, Acquisition Operations with the Acquisition & Integration team, which is responsible for the onboarding and full Operational transition of Dealership and Collision Center acquisition targets. In the first year in this capacity, he formed the team, developed the Acquisition Integration framework, and was responsible for the closing and integration of 15 Dealerships and Collision Centres. In 2022, David was promoted to Vice-President, Acquisition Operations.

Prior to joining the automotive industry, David articled with the international accounting firm Deloitte, where he earned his Chartered Accountant designation. During his time at Deloitte, David served clients in several different industries, including retail automotive within the private company sector, as well as high-profile public company clients where he worked on the audit of a few large acquisitions.

Andrew Gowan
Andrew Gowan
Andrew Gowan
Andrew Gowan

Vice President, Used Vehicle Strategy and Acquisition

Andrew leads AutoCanada’s cross border used vehicle wholesale division, Gateway Leasing. Since 2018, he has assisted AutoCanada’s dealer network by providing market intelligence and buying strategy. This direction includes batch wholesale buying from large fleets, advice on wholesale purchasing at auction, and appraisal support for inventory at AutoCanada dealerships.

Prior to joining AutoCanada Andrew led a large automotive group’s used vehicle wholesale activity with involvement and coaching in used car inventory strategy, buying vehicles for the dealership network and disposing of the group’s wholesale vehicles.

Andrew has a B.Comm (Hons.) from the University of Manitoba and resides in Winnipeg, MB.

Darnelle Funk
Darnelle Funk
Darnelle Funk
Darnelle Funk

Vice President, Software Development

Darnelle has been leading software development teams for 8 years and building software applications for more than 13. After creating a one-of-a-kind F&I application for a large dealer group, he led his team through acquisition of the software by one of the largest Canadian insurance companies in 2017.

In 2018 Darnelle left the automotive sector to successfully build and take to market a digital retail insurance application before joining AutoCanada in 2022

Darnelle has a Diploma of Information Services Technology from Red River College Polytech.

Jennifer Lennox
Jennifer Lennox
Jennifer Lennox
Jennifer Lennox

Vice President, People and Culture