Auto Remarketing Podcast

The latest appearance on the Auto Remarketing Podcast by Melinda Zabritski, Experian's head of automotive financial insights and Automotive Intelligence Award recipient, focused on auto-loan terms, which oftentimes are at least 72 months nowadays. Zabritski also compared a data point from Experian's latest report to the same reading recorded 10 years ago to find the one that might be most astonishing.

Forming the Transport Queens with Amber Gosney of SYCN Auto Logistics by Cherokee Media Group

We continue our episodes of the Auto Remarketing Podcast originating from the Live Stage, which was sponsored by SYCN Auto Logistics, during the Used Car Industry Summit in Miami this spring. To get a better understanding of how autonomous technology has the potential to be highly disruptive in the used-car market, Draiver senior vice president of sales Peter Janczewski shared a conversation with Cherokee Media Group's Joe Overby, discussing how autonomous delivery and repositioning can reduce logistics friction, enabling faster remarketing, broader buyer reach, and more dynamic pricing.

For this special sponsored episode of the Auto Remarketing Podcast, GWC Warranty senior vice president and managing director James Virgoe shared some of his personal experiences of buying a vehicle earlier this year to illustrate how the definition of “value” has changed in used-car retailing. And like he experienced, Virgoe also highlighted what potential buyers are paying closer attention to during the purchase process, especially around transparency and dealership credibility.

We continue our episodes of the Auto Remarketing Podcast originating from the Live Stage, which was sponsored by SYCN Auto Logistics, during the Used Car Industry Summit in Miami this spring. As vehicle ownership costs now exceed $12,000 per year and repair and maintenance prices have risen roughly 30–40% since 2020, Kathleen Long, who is vice president of business operations and strategy with Yelp, said the first mechanical repair has become a defining behavioral inflection point for used-car owners. Long then explained to Cherokee Media Group's Joe Overby how that juncture can impact dealerships and their service customers.

We continue our episodes of the Auto Remarketing Podcast originating from the Live Stage, which was sponsored by SYCN Auto Logistics, during the Used Car Industry Summit in Miami this spring. Scott Lear, who is president of Dealer Benefit, took attendees into the world of batteries for used electric vehicles and how F&I products such as Battery4Life can help dealers calm potential buyers' apprehensions.

We continue our episodes of the Auto Remarketing Podcast originating from the Live Stage, which was sponsored by SYCN Auto Logistics, during the Used Car Industry Summit in Miami this spring. David Prusinski, who is CEO of Vehicle Management Systems (VMS), was back in the spotlight to share his perspectives about the current state of fleet management, especially with fuel and maintenance costs soaring.

We continue our episodes of the Auto Remarketing Podcast originating from the Live Stage, which was sponsored by SYCN Auto Logistics, during the Used Car Industry Summit in Miami this spring. During previous events hosted by Cherokee Media Group, TJ Cox of TransUnion mainly discussed auto finance and the economy. This time, the senior director of market development for auto delved into vast research recently completed by TransUnion, examining the used cars purchased in 2025 and the trends that surfaced with specific models.

We continue our episodes of the Auto Remarketing Podcast originating from the Live Stage, which was sponsored by SYCN Auto Logistics, during the Used Car Industry Summit in Miami this spring. During a candid conversation with Cherokee Media Group's Andrew Friedlander, Michael Kraut, who is vice president of data advertising solutions with Experian Automotive, explored how franchised and independent dealers can use cleaner, more connected data to make smarter acquisition decisions, accelerate reconditioning, improve inventory turn, and protect gross profit.

We continue our episodes of the Auto Remarketing Podcast originating from the Live Stage, which was sponsored by SYCN Auto Logistics, during the Used Car Industry Summit in Miami this spring. This conversation features Cherokee Media Group's Andrew Friedlander and TraXtion president and CEO Brad Kokesh. They explore how dealers can bridge the transparency gap without sacrificing profitability, the psychology of the modern seller and why “blind” estimates are becoming a requirement, not an option.

Most independent dealers are working harder than ever — and still watching inventory sit. The difference between the stores that are winning right now and the ones that are grinding isn't budget, market size, or luck. It's discipline. The top-performing independent dealers are turning inventory 54% faster and generating 4.5x as many leads as the average store. They're replacing their entire lot 8 to 10 times a year. That's not a story about technology. It's an operational one — and it's replicable. In this special sponsored episode of the Auto Remarketing Podcast, Hayley Hollen and Chris Vangellow of Dealer Car Search break down what fast-turn dealers actually do differently: how they think about stocking decisions, why they don't wait for perfect listings before going live, and how they use trust signals — reviews, pricing transparency, response consistency — to keep the buyer path moving. Timely, practical, and grounded in data from thousands of independent dealerships.

We continue our episodes of the Auto Remarketing Podcast originating from the Live Stage, which was sponsored by SYCN Auto Logistics, during the Used Car Industry Summit in Miami this spring. One of the key questions buyers ask dealers about used electric vehicles is this one: what's the health of the battery? David Giacobbe and the team at Voltest work to help dealers answer that question and more. In this one-on-one conversation with Cherokee Media Group's Joe Overby, Giacobbe shared how providing assurance to consumers around battery health can help dealers drive their used EV sales.

We continue our episodes of the Auto Remarketing Podcast originating from the Live Stage, which was sponsored by SYCN Auto Logistics, during the Used Car Industry Summit in Miami this spring. This conversation features Cherokee Media Group's Andrew Friedlander and Zach Klempf of AutoAp. They broke down what is really happening in the recall landscape today and why recalls are becoming more frequent, more complex, and more costly across the used-car ecosystem.

We continue our episodes of the Auto Remarketing Podcast originating from the Live Stage, which was sponsored by SYCN Auto Logistics, during the Used Car Industry Summit in Miami this spring. FlexPath DXP chief executive officer Tarry Shebesta draws on his decades of industry experience to recap why used-car leasing has yet to gain sustained momentum. Now with affordability permeating the car business, Shebesta sees leasing as the path dealers can take to turn their used inventory frequently and solve the monthly payment concerns of their customers.

We continue our episodes of the Auto Remarketing Podcast originating from the Live Stage, which was sponsored by SYCN Auto Logistics, during the Used Car Industry Summit in Miami this spring. AutoWeb / UsedCars.com president and COO Dan Ingle tackled a part of the dealership business that's frustrating managers and their sales staffs. Why have leads deteriorated so significantly? Along with offering his explanation for the situation, Ingle explained what performance-based marketing is and how it could provide a solution .

We continue our episodes of the Auto Remarketing Podcast originating from the Live Stage, which was sponsored by SYCN Auto Logistics, during the Used Car Industry Summit in Miami this spring. Agile Auto founder and CEO John Ellis acknowledged inventory management might be the most difficult part of dealership operation nowadays. So, Ellis cherry-picked some of his best recommendations to share

We continue our episodes of the Auto Remarketing Podcast originating from the Live Stage, which was sponsored by SYCN Auto Logistics, during the Used Car Industry Summit in Miami this spring. AVILOO chief executive officer Brett Lippel focused on what might be the most important part of an electric vehicle. Lippel explained how battery test results are used to reduce days to turn, support stronger resale values, simplify the sales process, and more. Listen to Lippel recap how dealers can reach those goals with used EVs during a conversation available here.

We begin our episodes of the Auto Remarketing Podcast originating from the Live Stage, which was sponsored by SYCN Auto Logistics, during the Used Car Industry Summit in Miami this spring. Bryan Pascual, founder of DealerCarLeads, answers one of the most important questions dealers are asking nowadays. What actually sells cars on social media? Listen to Pascual's answer and more recommendations for dealers of all sizes during a conversation available here.

In this insightful episode of the Auto Remarketing Podcast, Auto Trader and KBB executives Elizabeth Stegall and David Lumpkin share findings gleaned from Cox Automotive's unique research into shoppers who buy from Independent Dealers. Learn how shifting buyer expectations connect to trust and profitability—turning clicks into customers. You'll get steps you can apply to your business right away. The full research will be presented and available at next month's NIADA Convention.

Tiger Okeley is the executive board member of Oak Motors, a buy-here, pay-here dealership that's been in business for more than 40 years in central Indiana. Having seen boom times, recessions, and more, Okeley shared his insight to help owners navigate soaring gas prices and other factors impacting potential car buyers during this episode of the Auto Remarketing Podcast.

Fresh off being in Miami as part of the Used Car Industry Summit that Cherokee Media Group hosted this spring, Shams Blanc, who is vice president of auto scores at FICO, appeared again on the Auto Remarketing Podcast. Blanc discussed the positives and negatives from the spring 2026 edition of the FICO Score Credit Insights report, how auto lenders are continuing to sharpen their underwriting and more.

Byron Oldham is president of the family-owned Honest Autos dealership and is president of the board at the Florida Independent Automobile Dealers Association. In this episode, Oldham talks with Cherokee Media Group senior editor Joe Overby about the upcoming Southeast Independent Automobile Dealers Conference and why it's different than a traditional auto industry event. Plus, they talk about building trust with retail consumers, how independent dealers are utilizing artificial intelligence and much more.

Kathi Kruse, the Automotive CFO-To-Go who brings her financial expertise — born through years of experience as a dealership chief financial officer — to dealers needing help in that area, is back on the Auto Remarketing Podcast. In this episode, she faces a “lightning round”, providing quick-hit takes on some of the many articles she's posted on social media and her blog, addressing dealership accounting and financial topics including why every dealership needs a CFO, expense control, accounting schedules, what you can listening to customers and employees, the “joys” of internal controls, and why white-out is not a viable solution to a financial problem.

As Cherokee Media Group was getting ready to host the Used Car Industry Summit in Miami, Peter Smith of the Lion Partnership spent some time with Nick Zulovich for this episode of the Auto Remarketing Podcast. Smith recapped some of his conversations with dealers in the U.S. and Canada, reviewing what's working and what's not in the used-car business nowadays.

John Elias and Peter Krall of Allied Solutions returned for another special sponsored episode of the Auto Remarketing Podcast. Elias and Krall recapped some of the most notable developments in auto finance from the first quarter of 2026. The Allied Solutions executives also discussed early signals of loan health and how lenders can ensure refunds, insurance lapses, or repossession indicators don't slip through the cracks.

James Virgoe, senior vice president and managing director of GWC Warranty, appeared on another special sponsored episode of the Auto Remarketing Podcast at a time when domestic and foreign turbulences have added even more complexities to the car business. Virgoe sifts through the noise to help dealers maintain a stable path toward inventory management while building value and trust with potential buyers.

On this episode of the Auto Remarketing Podcast, Bill Zadeits has a conversation with Vanessa Rocha, VP, All-American Bonds and Insurance and a Board member with the Florida Independent Auto Dealers Association. Vanessa speaks to some of the big issues facing dealers in today's used car market and also offers a special invitation (in English and Spanish) for them to join her at the Used Car Summit, April 13-15 in Miami. Enjoy this great episode with Vanessa Rocha.

Our conversations with the 2026 Automotive Intelligence Award winners wrap up with Satyan Merchant, who is senior vice president, automotive and mortgage business leader at TransUnion. Merchant recollected how his interest in data started when studying statistics on the back of baseball cards as a youngster and how it translated into a career of explaining complex trends backed by concrete information.

Concluding our inaugural Industry Elite: The C-Suite honoree series is a conversation with Tony Rimas, who is vice president of global revenue at XPEL Inc. Rimas — an avid biker who swam and ran track & field and cross country in college — talks with Cherokee Media Group senior editor Joe Overby about a career journey spent on both the investment and operational sides of automotive, blending servant leadership with a "no tomorrow" outlook, mentorship from Red McCombs and Chase Fraser, plus much more. Rimas and his fellow Industry Elite honorees will be recognized in the May edition of Auto Remarketing and at the Used Car Industry Summit, which runs April 13-15 at the InterContinental Miami.

Next up in our inaugural Industry Elite: The C-Suite honoree series is a conversation with Mike Thomas, who is chief executive officer of Resolvion. Thomas shares memories with Cherokee Media Group senior editor Nick Zulovich about working in construction and managing building projects and how that foundation set him on a successful path to working in auto-finance technology as well as a stint orchestrating mergers and acquisitions.

Next up on in our inaugural Industry Elite: The C-Suite honoree series is a conversation with Jennifer Turnage, who is chief executive officer of Primeritus Financial Services. Turnage talks with Cherokee Media Group senior editor Nick Zulovich about the importance of having accurate financial statements to running any business. She also reflects on her passion to help other women in leadership positions.

Next up on in our inaugural Industry Elite: The C-Suite honoree series is a conversation with Kelly Wyatt, who is chief digital officer with GM Financial. Wyatt shares a conversation with Cherokee Media Group senior editor Nick Zulovich about being with the company for 25 years and the colleagues and mentors who have impacted her during that span. Wyatt also touches on the complexities of auto-finance technology.

Next up on in our inaugural Industry Elite: The C-Suite honoree series is a conversation with Sean Morgan, who is executive vice president of finance and operations at Westlake Financial. Morgan talks with Cherokee Media Group senior editor Joe Overby about his career and the folks who have impacted that journey, the challenges and opportunities in auto finance, and his aspirations. The Industry Elite honorees will be recognized in the May edition of Auto Remarketing and at the Used Car Industry Summit, which runs April 13-15 at the InterContinental Miami.

Our conversations with the 2026 Automotive Intelligence Award winners continue with Tom Kontos, who now is analytics advisor for Auto Auction Holdings. Convinced to come out of retirement and get back in the business last fall with the growing wholesale operation, Kontos reflected on how he transformed his education and early professional positions in minerals and natural resources into a career in automotive that has now stretched to more than three decades. Kontos also touched on the colleagues and clients who have impacted him as he became one of the industry's top experts, connecting together automotive wholesale, retail, finance and the general economy into the Kontos Kommentary and other projects.

Next up on in our inaugural Industry Elite: The C-Suite honoree series is a conversation with Mike Clark Jr., operations manager of C& C Cars in Pinellas Park, Fla. Clark is a third-generation dealer and helps run the family business with his dad and sister. He talked with Cherokee Media Group senior editor Joe Overby about road trips to the auto auctions, finding camaraderie through dealer associations (like FIADA) and 20 Groups and what he's learned about project management from being a dealer. Clark and his fellow Industry Elite honorees will be recognized in the May edition of Auto Remarketing and at the Used Car Industry Summit, which runs April 13-15 at the InterContinental Miami.

Next up on our series with the inaugural Industry Elite: The C-Suite honorees is America's Group CEO Chuck Tapp. In this episode, we revisit Tapp's fireside chat with Cherokee Media Group president Bill Zadeits at Used Car Week 2025. They talk about Tapp's career in the wholesale market and what might be ahead for America's Group. Tapp and his fellow Industry Elite honorees will be recognized in the May edition of Auto Remarketing and at the Used Car Industry Summit, which runs April 13-15 at the InterContinental Miami

Kicking off our podcasts with the inaugural Industry Elite: The C-Suite honorees is a conversation with Grace Huang, president of Cox Automotive Inventory Solutions. Huang talks with Cherokee Media Group senior editor Joe Overby about her journey from business consultant to wholesale auto industry leader, how being a "harmonizer" impacts her approach to leadership, mentors and mentees who have shaped her path, "running towards change" in automotive and much more. Huang and her fellow Industry Elite honorees will be recognized in the May edition of Auto Remarketing and at the Used Car Industry Summit, which runs April 13-15 at the InterContinental Miami.

Jessica Gonzalez, vice president of customer success and general manager of automotive at InformedIQ, appeared again on the Auto Remarketing Podcast to describe growing “AI and fraud fatigue” and other topics connected with auto finance.

Tim Yalich, who now is vice president of business development for Carleton, returned for an appearance on the Auto Remarketing Podcast. Yalich explained how much more crucial accurate payment information is to today's car shoppers in an environment with some consumers struggling with affordability, among other topics associated with auto finance.

Cuyler Owens is CEO of Widewail, a reputation and customer experience platform for the auto industry Cuyler joined Widewail as CEO in December, following nearly three years as chief revenue officer of TrustRadius, and time with Dell, Vmware and Dealerware. Owens talks with Auto Remarketing senior editor Joe Overby about how Widewail is using artificial intelligence to help analyze Google reviews of car dealerships and make recommendations for dealers, the issues and topics that often surface in reviews, what's on the horizon for Widewail and more.

Our conversations with the 2026 Automotive Intelligence Award winners continue with Patrick Manzi, who is the chief economist at the National Automobile Dealers Association. Manzi , who got his first subscription to Car and Driver in his early teens, talks with Auto Remarketing senior editor Joe Overby about how his affinity for cars and his economic studies intersected, learning the business side of automotive, how he gathers data, working with dealers and much more. But Manzi has expertise beyond automotive. The longtime drummer has provided the backbeat for rock, hip-hop, dance and Americana bands. Listen to this episode to hear what moves him.

Our conversations with the 2026 Automotive Intelligence Award winners begin with Jessica Caldwell, who is head of insights at Edmunds. Caldwell talks with Auto Remarketing senior editor Joe Overby about her journey going from working at automakers on the product planning side of the business to her nearly 20 years as an analyst with Edmunds, how she and her team gather data and tell the human story from that data, reacting in real-time to macro events that can impact automotive and much more. Plus, Caldwell shares her love of pickleball, Formula 1 racing and travel.

Ashley Cavazos, who is president of the Women of Color Automotive Network and a consultant, instructor and 20 group moderator at NCM Associates, joins the show, along with Colby Sturdivant, new-car manager at Freedom Honda Sumter in South Carolina. WOCAN partnered with NCM to present a first-of-its kind scholarship to Sturdivant, who was awarded a full ride to NCM's GM Executive Program. Cavazos and Sturdivant talk with Auto Remarketing senior editor Joe Overby about the scholarship program and their career journeys and aspirations in retail automotive. Sturdivant shares her familial connection and inspiration in auto, along with what she's most looking forward to about the Executive Program's curriculum. Cavazos also shares her experience leading WOCAN since assuming the role of president in July.

Matt Babcock, who oversees digital lending product strategy for Wolters Kluwer, reviewed the Q4 Auto Finance Digital Transformation Index as well as discussed what could happen digitally this year.

Luke Godwin has his finger on the pulse of the independent used-car dealer. For starters, he's a dealer himself as owner of Godwin Motors in Columbia, S.C. He's also a consultant working with independent dealers and a frequent speaker at industry conferences and 20 groups, not to mention co-host of the popular Independent Dealer Podcast. During a freewheeling conversation with Cherokee Media Group's Andrew Friedlander on the Auto Remarketing Podcast, Godwin offers his thoughts about what's keeping independent dealers up at night, what they can do better, opportunities in the used EV market, why it makes sense for franchise dealers to add buy-here pay-here to their toolkit, and more.

Experian senior director for automotive Jim Maguire made another appearance on the Auto Remarketing Podcast to recap findings from the company's latest dealer survey that examined the impact of fraud at dealerships. Maguire then touched on the balance dealers and lenders have to create to still have a smooth path to vehicle acquisition for consumers while looking to keep fraud losses to a minimum.

One of the keynote presentations from Used Car Week 2025 featured Micah Tindor and Elizabeth Stegall of Cox Automotive for a session titled, “Guiding the Modern Buyer with Trust, Tech & Smarter Trade-Ins.” Valuable study findings and dealership recommendations now are available through this episode of the Auto Remarketing Podcast.

Kevin Roberts, who is director of economic and market intelligence at CarGurus, is back on the show to talk about the hot start to 2026 for the retail used-car market. Roberts and Cherokee Media Group senior editor Joe Overby discuss why last month was the strongest January for used-car demand in five years, the flow of vehicle supply, certified pre-owned and much more.

One of the foundational parts of Used Car Week each year is the lively conversation among the Women in Remarketing honorees. Moderated again by Brenda Rios of award program sponsor, Ally, hear the valuable perspectives and wisdom from some of the 2025 selections through this episode of the Auto Remarketing Podcast.

Used Car Week 2025 extended the ongoing conversation about how the wholesale and retail portions of the used-car market aren't quite as distinct as they used to be. Cherokee Media Group's Bill Zadeits hosted a fireside chat about the subject with Grace Huang and Lori Wittman of Cox Automotive that's now available through this episode of the Auto Remarketing Podcast.

Edmunds editor-in-chief Alistair Weaver joins the Auto Remarketing Podcast from the NADA Show 2026 expo hall, where he talks with Cherokee Media Group senior editor Joe Overby about the Edmunds Top Rated finalists at the convention, how dealers can use the awards to help in their conversations with customers, the importance of such ratings in a digitized automotive marketplace and much more.