A panel of eight judges will collectively choose the second annual F&I Innovator of the Year Award recipient from six teams tasked to design a breakthrough F&I product. Through their participation in the contest, the judges are fostering the next level of innovation across the industry.

A panel of eight judges will collectively choose the second annual F&I Innovator of the Year Award recipient from six teams tasked to design a breakthrough F&I product. Through their participation in the contest, the judges are fostering the next level of innovation across the industry.

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  • A panel of eight judges will collectively choose the second annual F&I Innovator of the Year Award recipient from six teams tasked to design a breakthrough F&I product. Through their participation in the contest, the judges are fostering the next level of innovation across the industry.

    A panel of eight judges will collectively choose the second annual F&I Innovator of the Year Award recipient from six teams tasked to design a breakthrough F&I product. Through their participation in the contest, the judges are fostering the next level of innovation across the industry.

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DALLAS—EFG Companies, the innovator behind the award-winning Hyundai Assurance program, together with Northwood University, today announced the judging panel in the 2016 F&I Innovator of the Year competition. Representing all automotive brands spanning across the country, the 8-member blue-ribbon judging panel brings extensive experience and expertise in understanding consumer drivers in the F&I space to the competition. For more information on the competition, visit http://bit.ly/Inn0v8te

The judges will select a winning F&I product idea from one of six teams currently competing in the F&I Innovator of the Year competition, which will conclude Friday, November 11. The winning team and product will be announced on Thursday, December 8 at Northwood University.

2016 Competition Judges

             
Judge     Title       Auto Group/Company
Alvin Heggs     Dealer Principal       Superstition Springs Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram
Kurt Hornung     Vice President of F&I Operations       AutoNation, Inc.
John Kane     Co-Founder       Empire Dealer Services
Tiger Lester     Regional Finance and Insurance Director       Group 1 Automotive
Anthony Patterson     Vice President of Operations       Patterson Auto Group
Claudia Sands     Director of Financial Services       Penske Automotive Group
Fernando Somoza     Executive Manager       Central Houston Cadillac, Central Houston Nissan, & Baytown Nissan
John Stephens     Senior Vice President       Dealer Services, EFG Companies
 

“The judges selected for this panel have developed reputations as change agents within the automotive industry on both regional and national levels,” said John Pappanastos, President and CEO, EFG Companies. “Their ability to raise the bar in innovation, backed by their years of experience, gives them the unique ability to determine what F&I product has the most potential to benefit consumers, dealerships, and the industry as a whole.”

About the competition

The F&I Innovator of the Year competition is designed to foster breakthrough ideas in the F&I space. It includes six competing teams from Northwood University that have been tasked with developing a business case for a new F&I product. The students must research, rationalize and demonstrate market viability of their new product, and its potential to facilitate F&I product sales in franchise dealerships.

At the conclusion of the competition, EFG Companies will award the winning team $25,000. The company will also develop the winning F&I product for the retail automotive marketplace, and return a percentage of the product’s revenues to Northwood University.

Visit http://bit.ly/Inn0v8te to learn more about the F&I Innovator of the Year Contest, watch this year’s Innovator video submissions, and follow @EFG_NWInnovator on Twitter for the latest competition news.

About EFG Companies

EFG Companies drives the industry’s highest-reported compliant F&I profitability through its distinct engagement model in which the company operates as an extension of the dealer’s management team. EFG addresses total dealership performance, and its client satisfaction net promoter score is higher than national corporate leaders such as Southwest Airlines, USAA Banking and Finance, and Nordstrom. Learn more about EFG at: www.efgcompanies.com

Contacts

For EFG Companies
Marcia Barnett, 214-868-8861
marcia.barnett@sbcglobal.net