Category: Publisher’s letter

It starts and ends with you

October 1, 2024

Yes, the industry is facing a wide range of changes. From ICE to EV, new retail business models, new brands, new technologies shaping (and sometimes threatening) your businesses, the pace of change on all fronts is greater than it’s ever …

Striking a balance

July 29, 2024

I was interviewed by the CBC recently for a story focused on what might seem to be competing goals: On the one hand, protecting domestic automotive manufacturing in Canada; on the other hand, supporting the drive to go green and …

Remembering Ron Porter

June 3, 2024

I received some sad news on May 15. As many of you will now know, Ron E. Porter, former SVP Automotive Finance at Scotiabank died at age 71.  Ron was a true automotive guy. He spent over 30 years at …

What to do about AI?

May 3, 2024

I was having lunch a couple of weeks ago with the head of a dealer group whose company I very much enjoy, and whose views I very much respect. We have lunches like this every so often, just to trade notes on what’s going …

The event you really can’t miss

March 29, 2024

CADA Summit is the can’t miss calendar event for dealers, and increasingly for OEMs and suppliers who want to know what the auto retail industry is really going through. I’ve been to every CADA Summit and have always had an …

Absorbing CES and Autovate

February 27, 2024

I’m finally back in the office. It feels like I’ve been travelling since the beginning of December — simply because I have been. But it’s been worth it, and I thought I’d share a few key takeaways that may have relevance …

Bringing the best ideas to bear

October 3, 2023

As soon as the 2023 CADA Summit finished, the planning committee (which consists of CADA’s senior leaders and the publishing team on Canadian auto dealer) dove into the attendee feedback to understand where we needed to make refinements, which topic …

Today, 5 years from now

A few weeks back I delivered a presentation to the Automobile Dealers Association of Newfoundland and Labrador. I was part of the agenda for their annual meeting, and it was a pleasure to be back on the Rock speaking to …

What happens in Vegas…

If you’ll allow me to alter and repurpose that well known and oft-quoted Vegas slogan, what happens in Vegas won’t stay in Vegas. I know that because I’ll be reporting on it. I’ll be heading down there for Thomson Reuter’s …

A story of brand risk

April 25, 2023

In a world of social media, where anyone can publish to the world and any given story can take off and reach an audience of thousands, companies need to be particularly careful about how their actions might be seen. It …