Gerald Wood has been selected as the new president of the Motor Dealers’ Association of Alberta (MDA) and will officially enter the role on November 23.
Wood is taking over the reins from Denis Ducharme, who served as the association’s president for 12 years and now plans to retire.
“Gerald has extensive experience in the auto industry in Alberta and nationally. He fully comprehends a new car dealer’s challenges with respect to operations, market trends, manufacturer relationships and government regulations,” said MDA chair Chad Zender.
He said the selection committee also felt that Wood understands how to speak with dealers directly, “and is already known and respected by many dealers in this province.”
Wood graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Saint Mary’s University in 1988. He worked with Ford Credit in Halifax, progressing through various roles and locations over a decade before moving over to Ford Motor Company. There he spent the majority of his time working with the dealer body.
In 2008, he was named Ford’s general manager for the OEM’s western region and remained in the role until his 2019 retirement. However, COVID-19 dashed all plans for travel and golf and Wood was said to have missed the people and the industry.
“The role with MDA would allow me to connect with dealers on a daily basis — this time across all brands,” said Wood. “It would also put me in a position of being able to help them build their respective businesses in a market that I and my family have made home.”
His return to the industry comes at a time when it has been severely impacted by the pandemic and the lockdown measures meant to help curb the spread of the virus.
“The government will have plenty to do to ensure the economy recovers to its former levels and we, as an industry, need to be ready when the customer is there,” said Wood. “I hope that all members can benefit from my experience and guidance as we move forward together.”
