The winners of the prestigious 2019 CADA Laureate Dealer Recognition Program have officially been announced by the Canadian Automobile Dealers Association. CADA made the announcement in a special video sent to members and exclusive interviews with each of the winning Laureates will appear in the next issue of Canadian auto dealer.
CADA Chairman Perry Itzcovitch contacted the winning dealers in advance to advise them of their Laureate status. In an interview with Canadian auto dealer, he said the new Laureates were all extremely pleased and honoured to receive the recognition.
“Being a CADA Laureate is a recognition of excellence, and in many families it’s a heritage or a continuation of excellence within a family or dealer group,” said Itzcovitch. “There is a lot of pride that comes to play with achieving great results, but also being recognized for being more than just being a dealer.”
Jamie Massie of Georgian Chevrolet Buick GMC in Barrie, Ont., has been named Ambassador Laureate; a category which recognizes dealers for extraordinary service to the community and the industry.
For initiatives that significantly enhance performance or broaden the scope of business, Aziz Ahamed of Destination Auto Group, Burnaby, B.C., has been named Innovator Laureate.
And Charles Saillant of Ste-Foy Toyota, Québec, Que., is the Retailer Laureate, having been recognized for his outstanding achievement within an individual dealership.
“The quality of dealers that you see in our industry, I think, are exceptional compared to (other) industries,” said Itzcovitch. “We have an entrepreneurial spirit, and we basically put out investment, our life, our blood, our sweat — we put our full efforts into (ensuring the dealership) is special, and in making customers feel special. It’s so nice that we have something like the CADA Laureate award program that can recognize this excellence.”
The winners were selected by the Ivey Business School of the University of Western Ontario in London, Ont., and announced to CADA dealer members on June 25 in a video, and in a CADA Newsline article.
On June 10, CADA, in conjunction with the program’s exclusive sponsor iA Dealer Services, unveiled the 15 finalists of the CADA Laureate recognition program.