AIA Canada announces changes to its Board of Directors and presents the winner of the Young Leader of the Year Award during its online Annual General Meeting
Ottawa, ON, April 29, 2020 – The Automotive Industries Association of Canada (AIA Canada) is pleased to announce the election of five directors to the 2020-2021 AIA Canada Board of Directors, along with other changes to its Board during its 78th Annual General Meeting (AGM) held on April 29th 2020. In response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s AGM was held online.
The Association announced the election of Susan Hitchon, the first woman to become chairman, and included the presentation of this year’s Young Professionals in the Aftermarket (YPA) Young Leader of the Year Award to Derek Suen of Dorman Products.
Board of Directors
The newly elected directors are:
Steve Leal, President & CEO, Fix Network (returning for a 3 year term)
Steve Leal has been with the Fix Network since 2004, when he joined as a franchisee. In 2011, he was appointed Chief Operating Officer of Fix Auto Canada, responsible for overseeing operational processes of the Fix Auto concept. In 2013, Mr. Leal became the largest shareholder of Fix Auto Canada, and, in 2014, he purchased rights to the brand worldwide. He took majority control of both Fix Auto Canada and Mondofix, the global master franchisor for Fix Auto World in 2015.
Read Steve’s full bio here.
Shannon Spano, Vice President, Sales, Wakefield Canada
Shannon Spano began her career in the automotive aftermarket in 2006 when she joined the Wakefield team. She has since held progressive roles in category management, strategic accounts and national retail sales management. Ms. Spano currently leads the national sales and customer experience team at Wakefield Canada in her role as Vice President, Sales. In 2018, she was recognized with the AIA Young Leader of the Year Award.
Read Shannon’s full bio here.
Bruno Leclair, P.Eng., President and CEO, Unimax / Point S Canada, Stox Distribution
Bruno Leclair has 35 years of experience in markets and operations in North America and across the world. For the past nine years, Bruno has served as president and CEO of Unimax / Point S Canada.
He was also the driving force in the creation of Stox Distribution, which he also presides over.
Read Bruno’s full bio here.
Ryan Bruno, Chief Financial Officer, CSN Collision Centres
Ryan Bruno’s aftermarket experience began when he worked in a management position at his family’s collision repair business while in high school and university. Throughout his career, Ryan has held progressively senior roles at many leading Canadian organizations, including the Bank of Canada, TD Securities, Bell Canada and Economical Insurance. Since 2018, he has served as the Chief Financial Officer for CSN Collision Centres.
Read Ryan’s full bio here.
Bill Hay President, Bestbuy Distributors Limited
Bill Hay’s career in the automotive industry began on the manufacturing side of the business at Dayco Canada where he held various management positions. Later, Bill changed focus and moved to distribution, joining Uni-Select Canada as regional vice president responsible for Ontario, Manitoba and Atlantic Canada. Most recently, Bill joined Bestbuy Distributors Limited as president.
Read Bill’s full bio here.
The new directors will serve until the 2023 AGM.
The Executive Committee will now be as follows:
- Susan Hitchon, business development manager, Automotive Aftermarket E-Learning Centre Ltd., was elected to the role of chairman;
- Bob Jaworski, president and general manager, Auto Electric Service, was elected to vice-chair, and;
- Jason Best, senior vice president sales, Uni-Select was elected to immediate past chair.
Additionally, AIA Canada would like to take this opportunity to thank former directors Bob Greenwood, Tony Del Vasto, Brent Hesje, Brent Windom and Rick Orser for their commitment and service to the board.
The remaining AIA Canada Board members and terms that were voted on at the last AGM will remain in place.
You can view the full list of AIA Canada’s Board of Directors, here.
Young Professionals in the Aftermarket (YPA) Young Leader of the Year Award
The YPA Young Leader of the Year Award is presented annually on behalf of the YPA Committee to an outstanding young aftermarket professional for their dedication to the industry, leadership, and innovation.
Derek Suen, Manager – New Product Development/Innovation, Dorman Products
Derek Suen is currently the manager of the new product development team at Dorman Products. With almost 10 years of ideation and product management experience, he has worked for several multinational corporations holding positions in accounting, finance and supply chain. Derek holds a Master of Business Administration from Wilfrid Laurier University. He is an active member of the YPA Committee
You can read Derek’s full bio, here.
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About the Young Leader of Year Award
The Young Leader of the Year Award is presented annually to an outstanding young employee for his/her dedication to the industry, leadership, and innovation. The Award was created in 2007 by the Young Executive Society (YES) Committee (now known as the Young Professionals in the Aftermarket (YPA) Committee) to provide member organizations with an opportunity to recognize employees that have made an impact on their companies, their communities, and the industry.
About AIA Canada
The Automotive Industries Association of Canada (AIA Canada) is the national trade association that brings together the entire automotive aftermarket supply and service chain. AIA’s mandate is to promote, educate and represent members in areas that impact the growth and prosperity of the industry. To learn more, please visit aiacanada.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.
AIA Canada Media Contact
AIA Canada Communications
1-800-808-2920 ext 285