Ten years ago, when I drove down the QEW to meet with the leaders of the Canadian Automobile Dealers Association (CADA), all I had with me were the seeds for a conversation.
I had a vision for creating the first magazine in Canada that truly served the needs of Canada’s franchised new car and truck dealers — but I needed a few moments to share that vision with the CADA’s President and CEO, Rick Gauthier, and Tom Harris, who was the CADA Chairman at the time. They carved out a bit of time to meet with me, huddled around the small table in Tom’s hotel room. In that conversation we outlined a vision that has never changed, and that we strive to fulfill each and every day.
As we put this 10th anniversary issue together, I’d like to recognize a few key individuals who were there in the beginning. Certainly, there have been many others beyond this short list who have made our pages matter, including our writers, our advertisers, our designers, and more. I’m grateful to all of them for their support and contribution. But every path has a starting point. Here are the people who were there at the very start.
- Gerry Malloy: By the time I launched Canadian auto dealer Gerry Malloy was already well established as one of Canada’s premier automotive journalists. Gerry and I had worked together previously on a number of projects, including World of Wheels magazine. Gerry’s reputation gave our magazine immediate credibility. His elegant writing style made it a great read from the very first issue. Gerry handed the editorial leadership of Canadian auto dealer to Todd Phillips about five years ago, but continues to contribute to the magazine as our technical editor, bringing his industry-leading understanding of emerging automotive technologies to our pages.
- Tony Chisholm: No magazine can survive without advertising. It’s the lifeblood that keeps it going. Bringing our new magazine to the attention of advertisers fell to Tony Chisholm. An experienced publisher, group publisher and magazine entrepreneur, Tony established the business foundation of the magazine with his enthusiasm and relationship skills, and when he retired he did a masterful job of helping the transition to Kristina Alexiou.
- Chuck Seguin: Chuck’s understanding of the business issues that dealers face is second to none. I invited Chuck to join our magazine as an editorial contributor when it was all just an idea in my head, and he has been part of every issue since. Chuck continues to bring his wisdom to our pages, and over the past decade he has been a great friend and mentor to me.
- Jim Bell: Nobody knows fixed operations like Jim Bell, and very few columnists share their knowledge with the colour and texture that Jim brought to our pages. Jim had already been a columnist for me while I was publishing another industry magazine, and when I asked him to come over for the launch of Canadian auto dealer he jumped at the chance. I can’t imagine the history of this magazine without Jim’s insights, his fierce loyalty, and his friendship.
- Rick Gauthier: Since day one, Rick Gauthier, the President and CEO of the CADA, and I have been fully aligned in our vision for Canadian auto dealer (and our French sister title, Affaires automobiles). Rick has been a passionate advocate for the magazine. He has fiercely defended our editorial independence from the association, so that we’ve been free to tell the stories we need to tell. He has been unwavering in his support for me and my team.
After nearly 20 years at the helm of CADA, Rick Gauthier, announced his plans to retire in July 2016. I will have much more to say about that in future issues, but for now let me simply say this: Rick is a great partner; Rick is my closest friend; and this magazine exists because we shared an idea.
