Last year, ZT Automotive, the automotive portfolio entity of ZT Corporate, announced a strategy to “transform” the dealership group to create “deeper alignment across its dealerships that drives operational efficiencies and an enhanced customer journey.”

In the first half of 2024, the company has taken a big step toward that transformation with the addition of seven executives to its leadership team.

“We announced our new president and operating partner Zeeshan Shaikh less than one year ago, and in that period he’s built a team to help us increase our year-over-year retail unit sales nearly 70 percent and our service revenue more than 33 percent,” said Taseer Badar, chairman and CEO of ZT Corporate and CEO of ZT Automotive, in a news release. “With additional team members in place, we’re able to sustain our goals for growth that benefits our investors and key stakeholders.”

ZT Automotive, which operates 13 locations in Texas, Florida, Georgia and Alabama, said its new hires – chief financial officer Danny Bass, market director Ric Moreno, regional fixed operations director Mustafa Qureshey, regional pre-owned directors Tyler West and John Haines, chief customer officer Judy Ku and vice president of client relations Jacqueline Chen – are industry veterans from “top-tier dealership groups” and “experts with backgrounds in high-end retail and a strong focus on customer satisfaction.”

Bass, who most recently served as CFO with a private automotive group, spent 15 years as vice president of transactional accounting for Group 1 Automotive and 10 years with Sonic Automotive as market controller.

ZT Automotive said his expertise in dealership processes and procedures will enhance its reporting capabilities, accounting efficiencies and internal controls.

Moreno comes to ZT with more than 30 years of automotive experience, including more than eight years with Group 1, overseeing operations in North and Central Texas.

Qureshey’s two decades on fixed ops includes stints with Asbury and Napleton Automotive Group. ZT Automotive said he has managed more than $220 million in revenue as a regional fixed operations director.

West has a “proven track record in driving sales growth and operational efficiency” in his 10-plus years in the auto industry, the company said, noting his expertise has been instrumental in enhancing ZT Automotive’s pre-owned vehicle operations and customer satisfaction. Haines, a 15-year industry veteran, will focus on improving current pre-owned vehicle operations and customer satisfaction in his region.

Ku has been in the customer relations management and luxury retail field for 20 years with Giorgio Armani and LVMH. She’ll be responsible for helping “shape the client journey” and enhancing the customer experience at every touchpoint.

Chen, the company said, “brings together expertise in CRM, merchandising, planning and luxury retail management from Giorgio Armani and LVMH to deliver an unmatched customer experience” for ZT Automotive.

“We have significant momentum at ZT Automotive and are implementing a best-in-class structure to our business, ranging from financial operations to redefining the customer journey,” president and operating partner Zeeshan Shaikh said. “In addition, we’ve built a robust middle management bench of industry veterans to ensure we remain nimble and efficient, and prioritize the customer and key stakeholders.”

HGreg environmental initiative plants 2,000-plus trees

HGreg has done its part to make the world a little greener.

The dealership group, which operates 31 locations in California, Florida, Texas and Quebec, held its annual “Buy a Car, Plant a Tree” campaign this spring in partnership with Tree Canada. The result: 2,072 trees planted in Quebec.

That bring the number of trees planted in the eight years of the collaboration to more than 8,500.

“As a leader in our industry and given its nature, we firmly believe it is our duty to help preserve the environment,” HGreg vice president of marketing Harry Kasparian said. “It is therefore imperative that we pursue our commitment to Tree Canada again this year, and in the years to come.”

The company said the trees from this year’s campaign will be located in the Pointe-au-Père area of Rimouski. Larch trees will be planted in protected peatlands to safeguard carbon-rich soils and combat the degradation of this ecosystem.