GenNext and the Commercial Vehicle Solutions Network (CVSN) have announced a new “In the Hot Seat” panel discussion, which will be held during the upcoming GenNext Speed Mentoring Session at the VIPAR Heavy Duty Annual Business Conference in Marco Island, Fla., according to an announcement.
The overall session will open with the panel discussion and be followed immediately by a mentoring reception featuring a structured opportunity for all attendees of the conference to network with experienced business leaders.
“In the Hot Seat” features four individuals with diverse backgrounds across the industry and the VIPAR Heavy Duty footprint:
- Kara Bolster,vice president of commercial excellence, STEMCO
- Ken Bumgardner, president/owner, Royal Truck and Trailer (Mich.)
- Dominic Grote, president/CEO, Grote Industries
- Claude-Andre Pouliot, general manager, Macpek (Quebec)
Attendees will be tasked with forming challenging questions related to the industry and the panel will respond with their own success stories and perspectives.
Additionally, the six designated pairs of business leaders (“mentors”) scheduled to be available during the mentoring reception will include:
- Kevin Broadwood, owner, Pinwood Truck Parts (Ontario) with Mike Poschner, Canadian sales manager, Phillips Industries
- Clint Carter, vice president,aftermarket, Jim Hawk Truck Trailer (Iowa) with Mark Owen, sales manager, U.S. aftermarket, Haldex
- Ian Johnston, owner, Harman Heavy Vehicle Specialists (Ontario) with Steve Hansen, director of marketing, Minimizer
- Steve Stich, Ppresident, Wheelco Truck & Trailer (Idaho) with Bill Mirth, national sales manager, Federal Mogul Motorparts
- David Willis, president/CEO, CRW Parts (Md.) with Mark Cappucci, national account sales, Truck-Lite
- Bill Nolan, president, PBS Truck Parts (Ind.) with Brett Penzkofer, vice president, North American aftermarket, Meritor
“VIPAR Heavy Duty has always been a great supporter of the CVSN/GenNext organization,” says Nick Seidel, president of GenNext and vice president of Action Truck Parts (Ill.). “The new format to our mentoring reception at the VIPAR Heavy Duty Conference was a collaboration between VIPAR Heavy Duty and the CVSN/GenNext group, and it will provide additional opportunities for our members — and all attendees of the conference — to interact with some of the brightest and most experienced individuals our industry has to offer.”
The reception will take place at 4 p.m., Oct. 15, during the VIPAR Heavy Duty Annual Business Conference. All conference attendees are invited to attend, but should register with Jeff Paul at VIPAR prior to the conference, according to the announcement.
