Bio's 

 

Chip Perry, President and CEO, AutoTrader Group Chip Perry was the first employee at AutoTrader.com when he moved from Los Angeles to Atlanta in August 1997. During his 14+ years with AutoTrader.com, Chip has managed the growth and evolution of the business as it rose from a raw start-up to become the leader in the online space.  Under Chip’s leadership, AutoTrader.com acquired Kelley Blue Book (kbb.com), vAuto, HomeNet Automotive, and VinSolutions to broaden its business scope and its ability to improve the car shopping process for consumers and create new marketing opportunities for auto dealers and manufacturers.

Bill Pearson, Co-Owner, Velde Lincoln-Volvo With over 23 years in the automotive industry, Bill is currently the co-owner and General Manager of Velde Lincoln Mercury Volvo in Peoria, IL. Bill was also the co-owner of Finish Line Ford in Peoria, IL from 2004-2011.  He has also owned and operated Dollar Rent A Car franchises in the Peoria/Bloomington, IL area as well.  Bill has been published in and contributed to several automotive publications including Dealer Magazine, Auto Dealer Monthly, F&I Magazine, Velocity 2.0 by Dale Pollack, Dealer Refresh and USA Today.

John Griffin, Vice President, Performance Management – AutoTrader Group Software Division John has more than 20 years of executive management experience at some of the most successful dealer groups in the country. Designing and implementing highly effective sales and operational management processes throughout his career, he has developed a specialty as an accomplished trainer, providing results-driven training programs for all levels of dealership personnel. Griffin has also provided consulting services to manufacturers, re-marketers, auctions and suppliers in the automotive industry.

 

Juan Flores, Director of Dealer Vehicle Valuation, Kelley Blue Book Juan manages the team responsible for new- and used-vehicle values for kbb.com. Often serving as a spokesperson for Kelley Blue Book, he is a much sought-after voice of the industry, and his work regularly garners coverage in top-tier media outlets such as Automotive News, CNBC and USA Today. Prior to joining Kelley Blue Book, Juan was the national incentives manager for Mitsubishi Motors North America, where he also held several other positions. He has a B.A. in economics from California State University, Dominguez Hills, and an M.A. in quantitative economics from Claremont Graduate University.

  

Howard Polirer, Director, Industry Education – AutoTrader.com As one of the nation's premier automotive educators, Howard has taught thousands of dealers about effective online innovation and Internet advertising. Prior to joining AutoTrader.com, Howard owned his own automotive sales training and consulting company. With over 30 years of experience in the retail automotive business, Howard has extensive dealership expertise, having grown from a Salesperson at a Toyota dealership to Sales Manager and then to General Manager for a Volkswagen, Subaru and Chevrolet dealership.

 

Mike Martin, National Dealer Educator- AutoTrader.com (Event Moderator) Mike brings 12 years of experience at AutoTrader.com to the Dealer Learning team. As a National Dealer Educator, he has trained more than 10,000 dealers over the past four years in local market workshops, in dealerships, and at national industry conferences. Mike consults with dealers on how to effectively market online with a strong focus on customer connections and how to incorporate online out-of-the-box practices to generate increased ROI.