CARLSBAD, Calif. -

This week, a diverse group of senior executives from 16 different companies across the auto industry — including a few major players in the used-car and remarketing fields — announced the launch of the Automotive Executives Association, an organization the founding members say is dedicated to facilitating business networking, providing new resources to help members and promoting awareness of key news and industry developments.

The AEA contends it is the first organization of its kind in the industry bringing together executives across multiple types of companies, including those categorized as:

—Advertising
—Affinity/Membership
—Analytics/Data
—Auction
—Dealer
—Finance
—Insurance
—Manufacturer
—Media/Publisher
—Technology
—Travel & Tourism

Officials explained that opening the association membership to executives from a mixture of company types related to the automotive life cycle will provide AEA members the opportunity to interact with industry colleagues in new and unique ways to help grow their businesses.

The Automotive Executives Association is launching with the support of an impressive group of industry veterans from a variety of organizations.

Founding members and their parent organization or founding sponsors include:

—David Bennett, national manager of automotive programs at AAA
—Damon Bennett, vice president of business development at Kelley Blue Book
—Bernie Brenner, executive vice president at TrueCar
—Choon Choi, senior vice president of strategy, business development and technology at Jumpstart Automotive
—Ben Cohen, president at Vast
—Stacey Coopes, chief executive officer at FordDirect.com
—Jason Ezell, president at Dataium
—Damon Johnson, vice president of strategic development at Kelley Blue Book
—Joe Koenig, vice president of business development at Carfax
—Gary May, president at Interactive Marketing and Consulting Services
—Gregory McGivney, vice president of strategy and business development at Cars.com
—Steve Moretti, chief executive officer at Condurre Media
—Todd Nelson, head of business development at LightStream (SunTrust)
—Bardo Petersen, vice president of sales and major accounts at Black Book Online
—Mike Romano, regional president at Shift Digital
—Charlie Vogelheim, chief marketing officer at MS Cloud Service
—Scott Weitzman, general manager of used vehicle operations at Volkswagen of America

Since the AEA is intended to facilitate networking at the highest levels of the automotive industry, criteria for membership are high.

Potential members must meet minimum eligibility criteria for either the “executive” or “senior executive” membership level. Each membership level includes a number of benefits such as:

—Member Profile: a highlight of each member’s automotive life cycle experience, skills and expertise.

—Member Directory: database of members with key information such as current company, title and expertise.

—Industry Company Directory: database with filters by company type, life cycle stage and headquarters location.

—Industry Event Calendar: events related specifically to the automotive industry (including AEA events) as well as non-industry events of interest to the membership.

—AEA “Top News” Weekly Newsletter: a concise weekly roundup of top news related to the automotive industry.

—Member News Distribution: opportunity to share member companies’ important news with the rest of the association.

—Senior Executive Circle Networking Events: exclusive, members only events, held twice a year for “senior executive” level members.

—Introduction Service: AEA facilitated process for senior executive members to connect with fellow members.

“There are a number of excellent conferences in the industry tailored towards specific verticals; such as events for dealers, manufacturers and finance companies. Our goal with the AEA is to bring together and connect automotive executives, from across the entire industry, in a new way that has never been done before,” said Moretti, who also is the AEA founder and executive director.

“In addition, our events are focused specifically on business networking and member interactions,” Moretti continued.

Vogelheim, a 2013 AEA board member, added, “A key element for any executive to grow their business is by creating and fostering relationships with fellow executives. The AEA will provide our members unique benefits, tools, and opportunities that help make that happen in a highly efficient and targeted way.”

In conjunction with the launch of the Automotive Executives Association and AutomotiveExecutives.com website, the AEA announced the first Senior Executive Circle Networking Event which will be held on Oct. 15 in Las Vegas.

This annual event will be scheduled strategically each year (during multiple automotive industry conferences taking place during the same time of the year in Las Vegas) to help ensure members connect with their fellow colleagues in the industry.

Automotive industry executives can learn more about membership, benefits and upcoming events at the AEA website www.automotiveexecutives.com.

Those interested in applying for membership can visit www.automotiveexecutives.com/membership.

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