Sean O’Regan, President and CEO of O’Regan’s Automotive Group
The Canadian automotive industry is mourning the loss of Sean O’Regan, someone who accomplished so much in his career and life and earned the respect of his peers from coast to coast. The native of Nova Scotia passed away on March 10—the same day as his father, Paul, 10 years before—in Dartmouth, following a heart attack. He was 53 years old.
The President and CEO of O’Regan’s Automotive Group and his brother, Patrick, who is also the President and co-owner of the family business, followed their grandfather, S.E., and then their father into the automotive dealership industry. Sean began at O’Regan’s in 1992 and rose to great heights in the Canadian automotive world, highlighted by becoming the recipient of the Canadian Automobile Dealer Association’s Laureate Award for Business Innovation in 2013.
Paul O’Regan won one of the Laureate Awards in 2006, the first year they were handed out, for Ambassadorship. When Sean received his award, it marked the first time two members of the same family received the distinction. Patrick won the award for Ambassadorship in 2014.
Under Sean’s leadership, the company received numerous industry achievements and awards. His contributions led to O’Regan’s being recognized with the Consumer Choice Award for New and Pre-Owned Auto Dealerships 12 years in a row. O’Regan’s Automotive Group has 17 new car dealerships, six used car dealerships, and an auto leasing company.
“He was my brother, my business partner and, above all, my best friend,” said Patrick. “To think of him in passing is really almost unimaginable at this point. He was absolutely a wonderful and kind person. He thought genuinely of other people, really understood humanity, and realized (that) making decisions and considerations, certainly from a business perspective and outcomes, were very important. But considerations of people and the impact those decisions would have on them was of equal importance.
“To say that Sean was a leader would be really a bit of an understatement. He had a charisma that made people without direction want to be with him and, frankly, want to follow. He made people around him feel good and will be sorely missed because of that. Sean had a personality that was larger than life. He was a big man, so he was large in life as well,” said Patrick.
He adds that Sean had not been in any kind of ill health.
“It’s an absolute shock,” he said. “I think we’re all having a hard time not expecting we’ll see him again.”
Tim Reuss, CADA President and CEO, said he is “shocked and deeply saddened” by Sean’s passing.
“He was a friend of many years and a very influential contributor to the automotive industry, both nationally and in Nova Scotia, serving on CADA’s Executive Committee as Second Vice-Chair, Chair of the CADA Audit Committee, and on the Nova Scotia Automobile Dealers Association Board of Directors,” said Reuss. “He was also recognized as a CADA Business Innovation Laureate in 2013. His tireless support will be sorely missed.”
Retired CADA President Rick Gauthier, who was at the helm of the association when O’Regan won his Laureate award, said he is “absolutely heartbroken” by Sean’s passing.
“My relationship with this iconic family goes back to the early 1980s when, as a dealer, I participated in a performance group with Paul,” said Gauthier. “As President and CEO of O’Regan’s Automotive Group, Sean upheld the proud O’Regan tradition of philanthropist, community, and business leader.”
He adds that “Sean was a champion in every sense of the word and I could not have been more proud when CADA hosted him and his wife Lisa in Toronto, where he was presented with the prestigious Laureate jacket as the 2013 winner for the Innovator category. Under Sean and his brother Patrick’s leadership, the O’Regan’s Automotive Group has evolved into one of Canada’s most prominent and admired dealership groups.”
“My heart and prayers go out to his wife Lisa and their children, as well as to the entire O’Regan family who, for numerous decades, have been and continue to be staunch supporters of the industry, both at the national and provincial level,” said Gauthier.
“I had the pleasure of working for Sean’s father, uncle and brother Patrick, and Sean. The O’Regan family are stellar association members, not only in Nova Scotia but nationally,” said John Sutherland, Executive Vice President of the Nova Scotia Dealers Association (NSADA).
“Sean was not someone that talked about things that should be done. He took the initiative to ensure that things were done,” He was an exemplary leader,” said Sutherland.
Steve Millette, President of Nissan Canada, said Sean contributed to taking his family’s automotive business to the next level, while always putting customers first.
“Many of us at Nissan had the pleasure of traveling with Sean on several business and reward trips,” said Millette. “He was a smart automotive mind, deeply rooted in trust and developing strong relationships, and always seeking to do the right thing. Humility was one of his many qualities.”
Rob Steele, CEO of Steele Auto Group in Dartmouth, told the Halifax Chronicle Herald that Nova Scotia lost a significant business leader.
“I knew Sean for many decades, ever since I’ve been in the business, I always considered him a friend, an associate,” said Steele. “We were always friendly to each other and had great mutual respect, even though we were competitors. Friendly competitors is how I would describe it. We would chat several times over the course of a year. We would often get together to have a coffee, occasional dinners and lunches to talk about the business and share a lot of our common insights.”
Brian Fulton, former President of Mercedes-Benz Canada and now Managing Partner of an MB store in Newmarket, Ont. said Sean had a larger-than-life personality and had a tremendous wealth of knowledge for the business, which held him in high regard by fellow dealers, manufacturers, and financial services companies.
“The thing I will probably remember the most about Sean was that even though he knew a lot and had very clear ideas and opinions on topics, he listened before he would weigh in,” said Fulton. “If there were topics on the table, it would have been very easy for him to jump in right away and give his opinion, but he always took counsel and listened to what other people had to say. He cared about what other people thought and when he spoke, people listened. He was really dialed in, but paid a lot of respect to his colleagues.”
Amin Tejani, Vice-President of Operations at WEINS Auto Group, and a close friend of Sean’s for 25 years and someone who grew up with him in the business, is also crestfallen.
“Our professional relationship grew into a very strong personal relationship with both him and Patrick,” said Tejani. “I used to love going to the dealer meetings knowing I was going to see Sean. We just had a very genuine friendship. I think what I’ll miss most about him is his love of life and his love of people, and just how genuine of a human being he was. He was a great, great car guy. It’s a big loss for the industry.”
Vaughn Wyant, President of the Western-Canada based Wyant Group, knew O’Regan as a fellow MB dealer and said he is “really shocked and saddened” by the news.
“We crossed paths on numerous occasions for industry meetings, and he was a great guy, a fun-loving guy, a typical Maritimer,” said Wyant. “He knew how to put a smile on your face.”
