AutoCanada to transition to new CFO
Azim Lalani has resigned as chief financial officer of AutoCanada, effective June 30, the company announced.
Lalani, who joined the Edmonton-based dealer group in March 2023, cited personal reasons for leaving, and will be relocating to Vancouver. AutoCanada said he will continue to be available to the company for six months after the effective date to assist with the transition to new CFO Samuel Cochrane.
Cochrane comes to AutoCanada from Internet of Things enabler company Telit Cinterion, where he served as CFO for the past year.
“Azim has been a valued member of our team and we want to thank him for his leadership in implementing various key initiatives, strong financial stewardship and dedication to AutoCanada, its employees and shareholders,” executive chairman Paul Antony said in a news release. “We wish him the best in his future endeavors.
“While we will miss Azim, we are excited to welcome Sam to our team. Sam’s proven experience in driving business transformations and process improvements will be instrumental for AutoCanada as we execute on our Project Elevate initiatives.”
Cochrane’s resume includes stints as CFO of IoT solutions provider Sierra Wireless and video surveillance and analytics company Avigilon. AutoCanada said his tenure with Sierra Wireless from 2020-23 culminated in the acquisition of the company by Semtech for a 4.5x equity return for shareholders.
AutoCanada operates 84 franchised dealerships in eight Canadian provinces and the U.S. state of Illinois, as well as three used vehicle dealerships, a used vehicle auction business, 13 RightRide division locations and 27 collision centers, The company retailed more than 100,000 vehicles in 2023 and generated more than $6 billion in revenue.