AACF Celebrates 30th Anniversary Charity Golf Tournament
The annual Automotive Aftermarket Charitable Foundation (AACF) Bob Schoeberl Memorial Golf Tournament will celebrate its 30th anniversary this year and return to Spanish Trail Country Club during AAPEX/SEMA Industry week in Las Vegas.
AACF Golf Committee Chairman Jeff Helfrich stated, “we’ll have many of the same events that folks have come to enjoy. Our Sunday night cocktail reception has become a ‘Who’s Who of the Automotive Aftermarket,’ and it’s exciting in today’s environment to be able to network face-to-face again. In our 30 years of playing the event, we’ve yet to have a participant make a hole in one to win a car. This year, it could happen as every participant will have two chances again at winning a car on the course. Besides all the great raffle prizes we have each golfer will get some very special gifts commemorating our 30th anniversary.”
AACF Board President Larry Magee said, “You can have a great time, mingle with many of the companies and individuals important to our industry all while enjoying one of the area’s top and most beautiful golf courses. But most importantly, you are helping the AACF’s mission to provide assistance to our fellow members of the automotive aftermarket that need help during a catastrophic time in their life.”
The charity golf tournament is scheduled for October 31. Interested companies can still sponsor the event and there are golf foursomes still available. For more information or to get involved, contact Executive Director Joel Ayres at joel@aftermarketcharity.org.
Power Automedia Announces Electrified Publication
With electric vehicles (EVs) becoming increasingly popular, Power Automedia has announced the launch of Electrified. The new publication is dedicated to covering all things electric vehicles, from bleeding-edge news and reviews to e-mobility advice and tips for consumers. Electrified will explore a range of topics in electro mobility, commercial transport, personal-assistance vehicles, commuting solutions and everything in between. This broad focus is in response to the increasing global interest in EVs, as well as the need for a publication that can provide comprehensive coverage of the EV landscape. Electrified will provide an immersive digital experience that will include a newsletter, videos and social-media content served up daily.
LKQ Corp. Announces New Leadership Appointments
LKQ Corp. has announced new leadership appointments. Varun Laroyia, formerly executive vice president and CFO, has been appointed as CEO and managing director of LKQ Europe. He succeeds Arnd Franz, who has joined MAHLE as CEO. Prior to joining LKQ in 2017, Laroyia served in various roles at CBRE’s Global Workplace Solutions (GWS) business, Gateway, General Electric and KPMG in Europe and North America.
In addition, Rick Galloway has been appointed as LKQ’s senior vice president and CFO. He was formerly the CFO for LKQ’s Wholesale division, first joining in 2019. Prior, he held various positions with Alcoa Corp., including CFO of its engineered products and solutions division.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Announces Senior Executive Changes
Dale Earnhardt Jr. has announced a series of executive-level promotions, the most significant being Kelley Earnhardt Miller’s appointment to the CEO role. Earnhardt Miller will oversee all Dale Jr. companies, including the Dale Jr. brand, JR Motorsports, Dirty Mo Media, DEJ Management and The Dale Jr. Foundation.
Already the backbone of the entire Dale Jr. enterprise, Earnhardt Miller has managed the career of her NASCAR Hall-of-Fame brother since 2001 and built JR Motorsports into a multi-championship-winning organization with more than 100 victories, company officials stated. In addition, she is the recipient of sports business achievements, including Charlotte Business Journal’s Top 25 Women in Business honor, the Lyn St. James Foundation’s Opportunity Award and Sports Business Journal’s Game Changers. Earnhardt Miller also recently authored the book Drive: 9 Lessons to Win in Business and in Life.
In addition, the following appointments have been announced:
- Mike Davis has been named president and executive producer of Dirty Mo Media.
- Tony Mayhoff will expand his responsibilities to lead management of the Dale Jr. brand as vice president, strategy and development, for DEJ Management.
- Longtime motorsports licenser and marketer Joe Mattes has been promoted to senior vice president, business and strategy, for JR Motorsports.
- L.W. Miller has been named Senior Vice President of Motorsports. He will continue to direct JRM’s competition department as he has done since 2011.
EGR USA Announces Promotion, New Hire
EGR USA has promoted Tommy Lamb to the position of digital sales and content manager. Hired by EGR in 2016 as a customer service manager, Lamb has more than 20 years’ experience in the automotive aftermarket. As a sales manager, he worked to develop EGR sales via e-commerce and retail, exceeding the company’s sales targets year-over-year. He also has contributed to the marketing, pricing and exposure of EGR truck accessories to B2B and B2C audiences. In his new capacity, Lamb will be more directly focused on ecommerce and digital content to build EGR product awareness, help refine EGR data and manage EGR’s UMAP policy to enhance customer sales.
In related news, EGR USA has announced the addition of Pat Johnson as the company’s national sales director. Johnson is a passionate Jeep and off-road enthusiast with more than 20 years of sales experience, according to EGR. Prior to joining EGR, Johnson served as director of business development for AAMP Global/Stinger Off-Road, where he was responsible for launching the Stinger Off-Road brand online and building a B2B distribution network. Previously, he served as national sales manager/key account manager for Truck Hero in the Jeep & Off-Road division.
BorgWarner Appoints Sailaja Shankar to Board of Directors
BorgWarner announced recently that Sailaja Shankar has been named to its board of directors. Shankar is the senior vice president and general manager of the Cisco Security Business Group, where she is responsible for the company's global security business. Prior to joining Cisco, Shankar served as senior vice president of engineering, enterprise at McAfee, where she was responsible for its security and threat defense solutions across endpoint, extended detection and response, data center security and cloud native application protection.
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