ASOTU CON Sessions

Live from ASOTU CON 2026, Erroll Bomar sits down with Mohamed Desouky of Amazon Autos alongside Northwood University students Chase Southwick and Max Hart for a conversation about the future of automotive leadership. As both students prepare to enter their senior year, they share what attracts them to the industry, the opportunities they see ahead, and why automotive continues to offer a wide range of career paths beyond the showroom floor.

The discussion highlights Northwood University's hands-on approach to automotive education, including its nationally recognized outdoor auto show, which is planned and operated entirely by students. Chase and Max discuss the leadership, communication, adaptability, and time-management skills they've developed through the experience, while Mohamed reflects on the importance of investing in emerging talent and creating pathways for the next generation of automotive professionals.

Timestamped Takeaways

0:00 Intro

0:11 Meet Mohamed Desouky, Chase Southwick, and Max Hart

1:44 What Excites the Next Generation About Automotive

3:13 Why Automotive Still Offers Endless Career Opportunities

3:50 Supporting the Future of the Industry

4:41 Learning Automotive Through Experience and Education

5:22 How Northwood Connects Students to the Industry

6:09 Building Relationships Through Conferences and Events

6:54 Inside the Northwood International Auto Show

7:23 Running the Largest Outdoor New Car Show in North America

8:45 Leadership Lessons From Producing a Major Event

10:30 Learning Resilience Through Rejection and Adaptability

11:37 Time Management, Leadership, and Team Development

12:34 Perspective, Process, and Persistence

Connect with Mohamed Desouky at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohamed-f-desouky/

Learn more about Amazon Autos at https://www.autos.amazon/

Connect with Chase Southwick at https://www.linkedin.com/in/chase-southwick-878327218/

Connect with Max Hart at https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxwhart/

Learn more about Northwood University at https://www.northwood.edu

Live from ASOTU CON 2026, Michael Cirillo sits down with Travis Hafer of Reynolds and Reynolds and Perla Romero of Herson’s Auto Group to explore the intersection of AI, dealership data, and customer experience. The conversation centers on a challenge many dealers overlook: before AI can improve performance, the underlying customer data has to be accurate, actionable, and trustworthy.

Travis and Perla share real-world examples of how bad data can create embarrassing customer interactions, while clean, unified customer profiles can help sales teams focus on what matters most—building relationships. They discuss how AI-powered tools are helping dealerships identify hot leads, personalize outreach, streamline workflows, and free employees from manual research so they can spend more time creating meaningful customer experiences.

Timestamped Takeaways

0:00 Intro

0:11 Why Customer Experience Starts With Data

2:00 The Problem With Dirty First-Party Data

3:11 When AI Creates Customer Experience Disasters

4:40 Using AI to Improve Sales Workflows

5:48 Moving From Research to Human Connection

6:08 How Data Insights Shape Team Training

6:58 Helping BDC and Sales Teams Prioritize Leads

7:14 Personalization at Scale Through AI

8:33 Applying Customer Intelligence Across New and Used Inventory

10:17 The Power of Unified Customer Profiles

11:11 Why AI Should Accelerate Human Connection

12:22 Connecting With Travis Hafer

Connect with Travis Hafer at https://www.linkedin.com/in/travishafer/

Learn more about Reynolds and Reynolds at https://www.reyrey.com

Connect with Perla Romero at https://www.linkedin.com/in/perla-romero-6a102357/

Learn more about Herson's Auto Group at https://hersonskia.com/about-hersons-auto-group/

As AI continues to reshape how businesses operate, leaders are facing a new challenge: balancing automation with the human element that drives culture, vision, and execution. In this ASOTU CON Sessions conversation, Glenn Pasch sits down with AutoAcquire AI founder Anthony Monteiro to discuss leadership in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.

The conversation explores the role of domain expertise in AI adoption, why leaders need to understand the tools they're implementing, and the fears teams face when technology changes the way work gets done. At its core, this episode is about helping people navigate uncertainty, building alignment around a shared vision, and creating organizations that adapt without losing sight of the humans behind the process.

Timestamped Takeaways

0:00 Intro

0:11 Balancing AI and Human Leadership

1:14 Why Leaders Must Learn the Technology

2:13 Experience vs. Technical Skill

3:01 The Philosophy Behind AI Adoption

4:37 Closing the AI Leadership Gap

5:28 Turning Ideas Into Execution Faster

6:40 Learning From Frontline Employees

8:18 Removing Mundane Work With AI

9:02 Building Teams Around Shared Values

10:08 The Danger of a Legacy Mindset

11:01 Creating a Culture That Embraces Failure

11:14 Addressing Fear in the AI Era

12:34 Lessons From Past Technology Shifts

13:05 Leading Through Uncertainty

13:40 Faith, Integrity, and Building for the Future

Connect with Anthony Monteiro at https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonymonteiro

Learn more about Auto Acquire AI at https://www.autoacquireai.com/

What separates great teams from average ones? In this ASOTU CON Sessions conversation, Glenn Pasch sits down with Reunion Marketing Co-Founder and CRO Chad Graves to unpack the leadership principles that drive high-performing organizations. From hiring for grit and coachability to identifying future managers, they explore the human side of business growth in an era increasingly shaped by technology.

The conversation moves beyond hiring and into the harder work of leadership: defining success, coaching through difficult conversations, identifying future managers, and creating a culture where performance discussions aren't surprises. At its core, this episode is about building organizations where people know what success looks like, and the systems leaders use to keep teams aligned as they grow.

Timestamped Takeaways
0:00 Intro

0:11 Why Humans Still Matter in Business

1:06 Hiring for Grit and Attitude

1:58 The Traits You Can’t Teach

3:40 Creating Clarity Around Success

4:27 Why Annual Reviews Aren’t Enough

5:14 Hiring Experts and Getting Out of Their Way

5:57 Moving Good Employees Into Better Roles

7:46 Identifying the Next Great Manager

9:38 The Best Test for Leadership Potential

10:16 What Sports Coaches Teach About Management

11:24 Why Coaching Employees Is So Difficult

12:43 Accountability vs. Alignment

13:07 Building Accountability Through Transparency

14:15 Creating a Culture of Open Communication

Connect with Chad Graves at https://www.linkedin.com/in/chad-graves-a3506b45/

Learn more about Reunion Marketing at https://www.reunionmarketing.com/

In this ASOTU CON 2025 session, Paul J Daly sits down with Kielan Whitner of Townsend Nissan to explore what it really means to lead from "eye level." A former Syracuse football player and public accountant, Kielan breaks down how he transitioned into the auto industry and climbed the ranks to General Manager in just seven years. His approach? Lead with empathy, be accessible, and create a dealership culture where personal connection drives professional performance.

Kielan shares his philosophy on how culture isn't just set at the top—it must be enforced and nurtured in the middle. He unpacks the principles behind his now-viral stance on negativity (hint: you go home), why starting in service gave him a unique leadership edge, and how transparent career paths like the one he experienced at Greenway Automotive can help attract and retain next-gen talent. If you're looking for leadership lessons grounded in experience, humility, and action, this one’s for you.

Learn more about SpaceAuto at https://space.auto/

⏱️ Timestamped Takeaways

0:00 Intro

0:36 Kielan shares his Syracuse roots and sports background

1:53 Social media helps sharpen his leadership ideas

2:22 “Leading from eye level” means starting with human connection

3:27 Greenway’s MIT program helped shape his leadership journey

5:09 He compared finance vs auto retail—and chose speed, income, fun

6:28 Writing service first gave him deep appreciation for fixed ops

7:43 Negativity sends you home—no exceptions

8:16 Culture enforcement is consistent and contagious

9:04 Kielan reflects on leadership lessons from sports and life

In this compelling ASOTU CON session, Paul J Daly sits down with John Bozzella, President and CEO of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, to discuss the evolving role of leadership in the modern auto industry. Bozzella shares his journey from politics to automotive policy, offering a unique lens into how government, innovation, and economic strategy intersect. With decades of experience at Ford, Chrysler, and now leading a critical trade organization, Bozzella unpacks the deep impact the auto industry has on national security, job creation, and technological advancement.

TIME STAMPS:

0:00 Intro

1:07 From politics to auto: John's unique industry entry

2:36 Ford hired him to bridge policy and technology

4:33 Skills are transferable—policy, labor, leadership

6:00 Alliance for Automotive Innovation’s mission explained

7:05 Auto industry contributes to national security and GDP

8:05 A strong U.S. auto sector protects economic independence

9:22 Dealers must embrace a bigger-picture industry narrative

In this ASOTU CON 2025 session, Paul J Daly sits down with Glenn Pasch to discuss his latest book, The Road to Sold, and dive deep into the practical realities of online sales process optimization. Glenn, a seasoned operator, consultant, and trainer, explains how the book was born out of a common but frustrating gap between marketing performance and showroom results. With his signature “hands-in-the-dirt” approach, he reveals how disconnects between online lead handling and in-store engagement often stem from poor communication—not poor marketing. The conversation explores how meaningful conversations, not just leads, are the key to increasing conversions.

Glenn shares actionable insights for dealers, from auditing CRM habits to improving cross-functional accountability. He also emphasizes the need to view online shoppers with the same level of attentiveness and nuance as showroom visitors. With relatable examples and a conversational tone, this episode highlights how dealers can use better process design, data awareness, and team coaching to move beyond clicks and calls—and actually sell more cars. It’s not about reinventing the wheel; it’s about building a process that consistently leads to conversations, appointments, and ultimately, conversions.

Learn more about SpaceAuto at https://space.auto/

Takeaways

0:00 Intro

0:30 Glenn Pasch joins to discuss The Road to Sold

1:57 The book addresses the disconnect between traffic and sales

3:40 The heart of the issue is a lack of meaningful customer conversations

4:13 Online shoppers are handled differently than walk-ins—and it’s a mistake

6:35 Convenience has changed buyer expectations permanently

7:30 Focus should shift from “making calls” to “starting conversations”

8:46 First step is auditing the process—not necessarily changing it

9:36 Execution, not strategy, is usually the biggest challenge

10:02 The Road to Sold is available now on Amazon

In this fast-paced and thought-provoking conversation recorded live at ASOTU CON 2025, David Spisak sits down with Ben Hadley to explore what he calls “The Age of Compression.” Ben breaks down how innovation cycles, attention spans, and consumer expectations are all accelerating—and why traditional automotive processes are struggling to keep up. This episode dives into the psychological and technological shifts reshaping how businesses must think, build, and serve in an era of instant gratification and continuous iteration.

Learn more about SpaceAuto at https://space.auto/

TIME STAMPS:

0:00 Intro

1:01 What is the “Age of Compression”?

2:20 Attention spans have dropped to 1.4 seconds

3:25 TikTok’s rise shows compressed innovation cycles

5:07 Auto retail lags behind due to data and API bottlenecks

6:09 Speed Layer helps websites load 50% faster

8:19 Consumers never go back to inferior solutions

10:08 Effort and meaning still matter in digital experiences

11:43 Direct mail and personalization are making a comeback

13:21 Luxury = decompressed, high-effort experiences

14:47 Budget 15% of ad spend for R&D and experimentation

16:19 Most tech stacks are outdated and need disruption

In this thought-provoking ASOTU CON 2025 session, David Spisak of Disruptive Growth Solutions sits down with Daniel Govaer to tackle one of the most pervasive operational issues in automotive retail: shiny object syndrome. With over two decades of experience in retail automotive, Daniel breaks down how impulsively chasing new tech leads to stalled implementations, team confusion, and ultimately, failure to launch.

Together, they discuss the critical importance of identifying real problems before chasing tools, why vendors must stop selling solutions to unprepared clients, and how involving frontline stakeholders in decisions drastically improves adoption. Govaer emphasizes that buying software doesn’t solve problems—utilizing it does. Dealers will walk away with a fresh perspective on vetting their tech stack, auditing utilization, and empowering their teams to drive transformation from the inside out.

Learn more about SpaceAuto at https://space.auto/

⏱️ Timestamped Takeaways

0:00 Intro

1:06 Shiny object syndrome begins at the dealer level

2:54 Stop buying tools—start solving actual problems

4:14 Decision makers must not be the only champions

6:06 Leadership often abandons implementation too early

7:04 Dealers must regularly audit their bloated tech stack

8:20 Too many tools disengage frontline staff

9:37 Friction-filled tech leads to friction-filled CX

11:08 Associates deserve better solutions, not more complexity

13:06 Audit how easy it is to sell something—start there

In this playful yet insightful session from ASOTU CON 2025, Arthur Bratton of Holiday Automotive joins Brad Gelber to explore what his young children unknowingly taught him about website user experience (UX) in automotive retail. Drawing inspiration from how his three, five, and seven-year-olds interact with technology, Arthur emphasizes that intuitive, simple design doesn’t just help younger users—it benefits every shopper. From click behavior to visual clarity, this episode breaks down the parallels between child-friendly interfaces and effective dealership websites.

The conversation digs into specific UX best practices, including optimizing page speed, cleaning up information overload, and eliminating distracting pop-ups. Arthur also highlights how the human touch still matters, advocating for authentic personalization through employee photos and immediate follow-up from real people. This unique perspective offers a practical and accessible roadmap for dealers looking to enhance their digital storefront—starting with a mobile phone, a critical eye, and maybe even a little help from their kids.

Learn more about SpaceAuto at https://space.auto/

⏱️ Timestamped Takeaways

0:00 Intro

0:10 Arthur Bratton joins to discuss what his kids taught him about UX

1:22 Simplicity is powerful—if kids can use it, everyone can

2:26 Big buttons and obvious CTAs improve mobile and desktop experience

2:50 Dealer websites often overload users with too much text

4:08 Site speed matters—users bounce if it takes more than two seconds

5:55 Visual clutter and pop-ups create frustration and distrust

6:13 Show relevant content first, like price and key features

7:36 Human touches like staff photos create trust and comfort

8:57 Regularly test your own website and remove unnecessary bloat

10:10 Overloaded pop-ups are the fastest way to lose shoppers