The Canadian Automobile Dealers Association (CADA) has released the names of the 15 finalists vying to become the next recipients of its prestigious Laureate Awards.
The association announced the finalists in its CADA Newsline newsletter on Monday, kicking off the final stage of a selection process that recognizes dealer excellence in Ambassadorship, Business Innovation and Retail Operations.
Independent judges from the Ivey Business School at Western University will now review detailed submissions from each finalist before selecting one winner in each category. CADA said the three winners will be announced in a special video bulletin distributed through CADA Newsline later this month.
Exclusive interviews with the winning CADA Laureates will also be featured in the cover story of the July issue of Canadian auto dealer and Affaires automobiles magazines.
“This year’s finalists represent an outstanding group of dealers from across the country,” said Tim Reuss, CADA’s President and CEO in the CADA Newsline article announcing the finalists. “From British Columbia in the west to Atlantic Canada in the east, these dealers have distinguished themselves through leadership, innovation and commitment to the industry. Reaching this stage of the process is a tremendous accomplishment.”
The announcement comes as the association prepares to celebrate a major milestone for the program. More than 35 former CADA Laureates are expected to gather in Gatineau and Ottawa next week for a series of events recognizing the 20th anniversary of the CADA Laureate program.
Among the industry’s most respected honours, the CADA Laureate Awards begin with nominations submitted by peers within the automotive community. Dealers are not permitted to nominate themselves, a feature that distinguishes the program from many other industry awards.
Following the nomination process, hundreds of submissions are reviewed and narrowed to five finalists in each category. The final winners are then selected through an independent judging process led by the Ivey Business School at Western University.
The 2026 finalists represent dealerships and dealer groups from British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick.
Ambassadorship finalists
The finalists in the Ambassadorship category are:
- Mike Hacquard, Wolfe Mazda, Surrey, BC;
- Neil Metcalfe of Metcalfe’s Garage in Treherne, Man.;
- Francesco G. Policaro of Policaro Auto Group in Brampton, Ont.;
- Kevin Sharfe of Sherwood Chevrolet in Saskatoon, Sask.;
- Jim Williamson of Williamson Auto Group in Uxbridge, Ont.
Business Innovation finalists
The Business Innovation finalists are:
- Vincent Déry of Joliette Mitsubishi in Notre-Dame-des-Prairies, Que.;
- Matt Girvan of Allpoints Auto Group in Moncton, N.B.;
- Mark Hicks of Sherwood Ford in Sherwood Park, Alta.;
- Jared Priestner of Go Auto Group in Edmonton, Alta.;
- Kyle Romeril of Kaizen Auto Group in Calgary, Alta.
Retail Operations finalists
The Retail Operations finalists are:
- Geoff Butt of Westminster Toyota in New Westminster, B.C.;
- Krysta Dupuis of Rally Subaru in Edmonton, Alta.;
- Steve Marshall of Steve Marshall Motors in Campbell River, B.C.;
- David McQuilkin of Milton Ford Lincoln in Milton, Ont.;
- Eric O’Sullivan, Sherwood Park Buick GMC, Sherwood Park, AB
iA Dealer Services is the exclusive sponsor of the CADA Laureate Award program.
Canadian auto dealer congratulates each of this year’s finalists.
