New leadership is now in place at Southeast Toyota Finance.

The captive finance company and subsidiary of JM Family Enterprises announced a trio of executive leadership changes created by the departure of Southeast Toyota Finance president Bill Shope, who retired at the end of March after 35 years with the company.

Now serving as Southeast Toyota Finance president is Casey Gunnell Jr., who most recently was group vice president.

Leadership highlighted that Gunnell’s 27-year tenure with JM Family, including 25 years at sister company Southeast Toyota Distributors, has been marked by significant achievements in various leadership roles.

“Casey’s promotion to president of Southeast Toyota Finance recognizes and celebrates his nearly three decades of driving success across our automotive and finance operations,” JM Family president and CEO Dan Chait said in a news release. “He’s a proven and capable leader who understands that strong results come from investing in people as much as they come from strategic agility and execution.

“I am confident that under Casey’s leadership, Southeast Toyota Finance will continue to set industry standards and deliver superior service to our customers,” Chait added.

Additionally, Southeast Toyota Finance executives announced the promotions of Charles Gruszczynski and Michael Hollis to be group vice presidents. The company said these promotions are closely tied to the SPARK initiatives, ensuring a seamless alignment of leadership and strategic goals.

Southeast Toyota Finance explained that it’s been on a journey of innovation and transformation through SPARK, a strategic initiative designed to modernize operations, enhance dealer and customer experiences, and position the company for long-term success.

Gruszczynski, who is now GVP of portfolio management, will oversee analytics, data, portfolio finance, risk, and credit administration.

Southeast Toyota Finance said Gruszczynski’s leadership will be instrumental in driving SPARK’s technology and process initiative, leveraging advanced technology and data to enhance efficiency and deliver flexible solutions.

Hollis, who is now GVP of operations, will lead strategies and operations within the customer experience centers and manage strategic partnerships.

Southeast Toyota Finance said Hollis’ role will be pivotal in the organizational initiative, developing a future-ready workforce equipped with the skills to thrive in a rapidly changing environment.

Ranked No. 1 in dealer satisfaction among captive mass market-prime automotive finance lenders for the second year in a row by the J.D. Power 2024 U.S. Dealer Financing Satisfaction Study, Southeast Toyota Finance is also set to launch the next evolution of the SPARK program, focusing on four key initiatives to serve the needs of dealers and customers.

They include:

—Transaction: Evolving programs and customer experience to position Southeast Toyota Finance as the primary consideration in-store and online.

—Vehicle: Creating competitive financing solutions for evolving vehicles and associated technology to achieve market leadership and customer retention.

—Technology and process: Leveraging advanced technology and process improvements to enhance efficiency and deliver flexible solutions.

—Organizational: Developing a future-ready workforce equipped with the skills to thrive in a rapidly changing environment.

“This is an excellent leadership team in place as Southeast Toyota Finance continues to grow,” Chait said. “We look forward to the continued success that their collective efforts will bring to our organization and dealers.”