Executive moves: New GM at Indiana Auto Auction & hires at STELLA, Quantum5
Indiana Auto Auction has a new general manager, ServNet announced in its latest newsletter.
Promoted to the role is Andrew Schaefer, who is the chief financial officer of the auction, which is part of the Stanley-Autenrieth Auction Group.
Schaefer has been with Indiana Auto Auction for more than 25 years.
"We are delighted to officially name Andrew as the general manager at Indiana Auto Auction," auction owner Eric Autenrieth said in a news release.
“His move to the top spot in our team's leadership has been planned for the better part of a year,” Autenrieth said. “He has the support of our employees and customers, possesses great skill and expertise in auction operations, and has a keen understanding of the remarketing industry.
“We have every confidence that he'll run the auction with a sure hand and will oversee its continued success,” he said.
Schaefer added: “It has been an exciting ride at Indiana Auto Auction over the past 25 years, and I'm honored to step into the role of general manager. The future of our auction is bright, and we are looking forward to growing as a team as we continue to serve our customers and ensure our place as a one of this country's preeminent car and truck facilities.”
Next up, STELLA Automotive AI — which provides conversational artificial intelligence technology — named a head of product.
Appointed to that position is Ben Okuka, who previously was director of digital product management at Rocket Auto and director of product management at FordDirect.
“As our business grows, we are investing in our team so that we can deliver the very best products and customer experience,” STELLA CEO and founder Josselyn Boudett said in a release. “Ben has a depth of expertise in automotive dealership technology that will help us design products for maximum dealership benefit and with minimum business interruption.”
Over at Quantum5, the training company named a new chief operating officer. Hired for the role is Joseph Kacala, who was most recently senior vice president of product development at Polly.
His background also includes time with Automotive Mastermind, Xtime and Cox Automotive.
“I’ve watched and been in admiration of Joe’s successful implementation of operations for large companies like Xtime, Automotive Masterminds, and Polly for a while now and what struck me the most was his commitment to relational excellence in each role,” Quantum5 president and CEO David O’Brien said in a news release.
“We are fortunate to be at a time in our organization where our growth is approaching fast and furious and we need a leader who can hit the ground running, but will always remember that relationships are the key to profits. We have found those qualities in Joe, and we could not be happier to welcome him to the team.”