ST. LOUIS and NAPA, Calif. -

As AUL Corp. collected a regional accolade for the sixth consecutive year based on its workplace, Axiom announced the newest member of its executive team.

Susan Johnson recently joined Axiom in the role of executive vice president with the responsibility of leading full-cycle product development and administration initiatives for current and future products.

As a long-time F&I industry leader, Axiom highlighted that Johnson arrives with an expert-level skill set in product development, compliance, sales and risk management. As executive vice president, she will drive new product and sales opportunities from within the talented group of Axiom employees representing product development, administration, sales support and sales departments.

“Susan’s knowledge of product and compliance in the industry is unrivaled. She has perfected her craft with a balance of expertise in both innovative product execution and compliant, tangible product offerings,” Axiom chief executive officer Michael Reth said in a news release.

“Susan and I have worked alongside each other in previous roles and I know her talents will translate well to the Axiom environment,” Reth continued. "Her passion and commitment to this industry are remarkable and we are thrilled to have her part of our executive management team.”

Reflecting on taking this executive role, Johnson added, “I am honored to be a part of such an innovative group of people. The atmosphere is very exciting, and I am so glad to be a part of Axiom and the future of this industry.

“Great things are happening here,” she went on to say.

Workplace honor for AUL

Great things also appear to be happening at AUL Corp.

The full-service F&I provider has been honored by the North Bay Business Journal’s Best Places to Work competition for the sixth consecutive year.

The competition recognizes those Northern San Francisco Bay Area companies that excel in quality, professionalism, respect, fairness, pride and camaraderie, as voted on directly by their employees.

This year’s winners were selected from more than 100 participating companies and 8,000 anonymous employee surveys. The surveys also underwent a comprehensive review by the business journal’s editorial staff to eliminate any duplicates or fraudulent entries, ensuring a genuine and equitable result.

“Since AUL’s founding in 1990, our people have been our greatest focus and most valuable asset,” AUL president and CEO Jimmy Atkinson said in a news release. “Their dedication to working hard for our clients and each other has been the fuel for our amazing growth from specialist VSC provider, into a full-service F&I leader. To once again be honored by them strengthens our resolve to stay true to our mission and to our community.”

This year’s competition was co-presented by the Nelson Family of Companies, Exchange Bank, Kaiser Permanente and the Trope Group.

Founded in 1987, the Business Journal’s coverage has expanded from Santa Rosa to the rest of the North Bay area, covering Sonoma, Napa, Marin, Solano, Mendocino and Lake Counties in the San Francisco Bay Area.

AUL and the other winners will be honored at the annual awards gala on Sept. 26 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Santa Rosa, Calif.