Strong team key, says new Dealertrack exec

September 12, 2016

Canadian auto dealer interviews the new head of Dealertrack’s Canadian operations

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Richard Evans, Vice-President and General Manager, Dealertrack Canada

There have been a lot of changes in recent years at Dealertrack, and the new leader at the helm is eager to dive in and continue the company’s growth in Canada.

Richard Evans, Vice-President and General Manager, Dealertrack Canada, had a chat with Canadian auto dealer to explain his new role and what the company’s plans are in the near future.

“I was thrilled to join,” says Evans. “I’m really happy here.”

Previously, Evans was an executive at Davis & Henderson, where he worked as the Head of the Collateral Management business.

“I think my real passion is for customers and products, with a background in product management. I’m a problem solver at heart,” says Evans.

He says he’s been impressed with the Dealertrack team he’s met with so far. “If you look across the country I don’t think you can find a more dedicated and passionate team in terms of automotive finance experience in Canada,” he says. “Our knowledge is really the brain that drives the engine here.”

Evans says the company’s breadth of services and access to data makes it uniquely positioned to provide dealers with both services and insights. “The key is the people you have,” says Evans. “It all comes from teamwork. You can have the best data in the world but you need the right people to actually apply the insights to it, that’s really what’s key.”

Evans says one innovative new product that dealers will appreciate is the company’s new desking solution that helps provide a faster and more transparent customer experience. “The feedback we have received from Dealertrack Desking is tremendous, I would say it’s game changing. I think what our dealers will see is that it’s not just a desking tool — but a whole retail management tool that will really help the entire retail experience.”

The company has also been making what Evans calls “massive investment” in scalable infrastructure and security around its core information technology to ensure that it has the security and systems in place to support the needs of dealers.

“Our team works really hard in making sure dealers have high performing systems to work with. It’s the unsung hero of our business. It’s from our support, to how long it takes to get a response when you ask a question,” says Evans.

Evans says the company also closely follows the results of the auto industry as it’s directly linked to their own growth and success. “Business is good, it remains strong. We’re tied pretty tightly to both new and used auto sales. It’s in our best interest to advocate for the automotive sector,” he says. “We want dealers to succeed and grow. We do anything we can to support the dealer community.”

Dealertrack, a Cox Automotive brand, provides sales and F&I products, market data for dealers, lenders and OEMs and also digital document services in Canada.

About Todd Phillips

Todd Phillips is the editorial director of Universus Media Group Inc. and the editor of Canadian auto dealer magazine. Todd can be reached at tphillips@universusmedia.com.

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