Reynolds Wrap-Up: What We've Accomplished in 2022 - Industry Relations

There’s a distinct difference between volunteering to do something and being told you’re “volunteering.” Three months into my tenure as president of Reynolds and Reynolds, I found myself experiencing the latter. I had been selected by Kasi Edwards to compete in the Clothes That Work, Men at Work campaign. I would need to show up for a photoshoot and have clothes for three distinct looks: First Impressions, Workplace, and Casually Cool. If I didn’t, I’d run the risk of facing Kasi’s wrath.

This certainly isn’t something I thought would be part of my role as company president. But ultimately, I was happy I “volunteered.” Clothes That Work is a worthy cause and with the help of Reynolds associates, we raised some money to support their efforts. I was excited to meet people, something that didn’t happen nearly as often in the last two years. And this experience pushed me out of my comfort zone, which I think is healthy for everyone — including businesses.

For as long as I can remember, we have had excellent people at Reynolds with tremendous experience and great ideas. And this year we have really been focused on sharing our voice with the industry. One of our pillars for success is playing a more active role within the automotive ecosystem by participating in more events, driving more discussions, and shaping the future of automotive. To do this, Reynolds needed to get out of our comfort zone.

We kicked off this new initiative by naming Shawn Leibold as our director of industry relations, a new role for Reynolds. Shawn’s always had a knack for building relationships and working with customers so this was a perfect fit.

In July, we made another big announcement: Reynolds and Reynolds joined STAR (Standards for Technology in Automotive Retail). As an industry leader, there’s a lot of institutional knowledge and experience our associates can bring to the table. Becoming part of STAR’s steering committee and lending our expertise made sense for our organization.

Aside from those two announcements, we’ve also had a busier conference schedule this year. It was great to have NADA in-person again after 2021’s virtual event. I had some really engaging conversations with dealers about the new approach Reynolds is taking. I also sat down for a few media interviews, and we even had a stage set up in our booth. My time in front of the camera didn’t stop there. Recently, I participated in Ted Ings Fixed Ops Roundtable and spoke with KC Crain from Automotive News about our acquisition of Proton Dealership IT . Reynolds also had a presence at the Driving Sales Executive Summit as a sponsor of the Best Idea Contest, attended the NAMAD (National Association of Minority Automobile Dealers) Annual Conference at the Fountainebleau, and sent associates from Gubagoo and Naked Lime to the first-ever ASOTU CON in Philadelphia.

Strengthening our partnerships with industry groups, trade associations, and automotive influencers is an ongoing project. I’m thrilled with the progress we made this year, but I also have no intention of resting on our laurels. Wherever there’s an opportunity to improve the automotive industry or have meaningful discussions about its future, we’ll be there. This is the new Reynolds. Let’s leave our comfort zones in the rearview mirror.