As vehicle affordability remains a top concern, the role of the dealership's Finance & Insurance (F&I) office is more critical than ever.

In this episode of VADA Live, host Dan Carrigan sits down with Robert Hunter, President of Automotive F&I at Brown & Brown Dealer Services. We formally welcome Brown & Brown as VADA’s newest Program Partner for Virginia's franchise dealers and dive into the strategies needed to protect front-end gross and properly serve today's budget-conscious consumer.

In this episode:
• The Affordability Factor — With consumers stretching budgets and holding onto older, higher-mileage used vehicles, dealers must adapt their protection product offerings.

• Consultative Selling — Why F&I teams need to move beyond the pitch. As Robert notes, "It's not just the purchase today. It's the purchase for however long they're going to keep the vehicle".

• Building a Bench — The importance of promoting the auto industry as a long-term career path and recruiting fresh F&I talent from within the dealership.

• Continuous Training — How modern dealerships are utilizing a mix of face-to-face coaching and AI technology to create risk-free customer simulations for F&I managers to practice their skills.


🎙️ ABOUT VADA LIVE
VADA Live is the official video podcast of the Virginia Automobile Dealers Association, hosted by Dan Carrigan. Each episode features candid conversations with industry leaders, analysts, and experts on the trends, data, and strategies shaping automotive retail.

👤 ABOUT ROBERT HUNTER
Robert Hunter is the President of Automotive F&I at Brown & Brown Dealer Services. Based out of the Boston area, Robert and his team focus on cultivating relationships with dealerships nationwide, bringing fresh ideas, AI-driven training, and consultative processes to elevate F&I operations and profitability.

🏢 ABOUT BROWN & BROWN DEALER SERVICES
Brown & Brown Dealer Services is a VADA Program Partner. They provide franchise auto dealers with comprehensive F&I solutions, reinsurance expertise, and continuous, modern training programs designed to support dealership personnel and protect consumer investments.

We caught up with Presidio Group's Kevin Tynan for an exclusive sneak peek at the data-driven strategy he's bringing to the VADA '26 Convention at the Marriott Virginia Beach Oceanfront.

Register for VADA '26: https://vada.com/convention/

Kevin is one of the sharpest analysts in automotive retail — and he's not here to sugarcoat it. In this bonus "Convention Sneak Peek" episode, Kevin breaks down the financial physics every Virginia dealer needs to understand heading into 2026: why cheap cars aren't coming back, how the franchise model has saved consumers $194 billion since 2018, and why used vehicles are more like a "snowflake or a fingerprint" than a commodity right now.

He's saving his deep dives on the Chinese EV threat and Fixed Ops for the main stage in Virginia Beach — but this episode gives you the foundation to arrive ready.

In this episode:
The $25K Reality Check — Why OEMs are moving away from affordable volume, not toward it
The $194 Billion Defense — Hard data proving the franchise model works for consumers
The "Snowflake" Market — What's really happening with used vehicle margins right now
Financial Physics 101 — Supply, demand, and what the numbers are actually saying for 2026

Watch, then register: https://vada.com/convention/

🎙️ ABOUT VADA LIVE
VADA Live is the official video podcast of the Virginia Automobile Dealers Association, hosted by Dan Kerrigan. Each episode features candid conversations with industry leaders, analysts, and experts on the trends, data, and strategies shaping automotive retail — from the showroom floor to the main stage at the VADA Annual Convention.
Subscribe for new episodes: https://vada.com/news?filter=vadalive

👤 ABOUT KEVIN TYNAN
Kevin Tynan is Director of Research at The Presidio Group, where he tracks the forces shaping automotive retail — from manufacturing economics and OEM strategy to dealership operations and macro market trends. A returning speaker at the VADA Annual Convention, Kevin is known for translating complex data into actionable insights for franchise dealers across the country.
Connect with Kevin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinptynan/

🏢 ABOUT THE PRESIDIO GROUP
The Presidio Group is an investment banking and advisory firm dedicated exclusively to the automotive industry. They provide M&A advisory, capital markets, and strategic consulting services to franchise dealers, dealer groups, and automotive companies — helping clients navigate the financial and operational realities of a rapidly evolving market.
Learn more: https://thepresidiogroup.com/

How do you build trust with a consumer before they ever set foot in your showroom?

In this episode of VADA Live, host Dan Carrigan sits down with Tim Pohanka, Executive Vice President of Pohanka Automotive Group, and Chris Einterz, Director of Online Retailing at Dealer eProcess. Together, they break down the current state of digital automotive retailing, where strategies fall short, and how to effectively integrate AI without losing the human touch.

In this episode, we cover:

The Omnichannel Experience: Why maintaining consistent messaging across your website, digital tools, and marketing campaigns is the #1 issue dealers face today.

Trust Over Price: According to a Capital One study, consumer trust is nearly three times more of an indicator of a purchase than price alone.

Respecting Consumer Time: How bringing the negotiation and disclosure process online saves time in the showroom, allowing top salespeople to push 40+ deliveries a month.

AI Search Optimization: Why dealerships need to prioritize how AI search agents (like LLMs and smartphone assistants) are parsing their websites for zero-click searches.

Watch the full episode to see why transparency is the ultimate conversion tool.

About VADA: The Virginia Automobile Dealers Association (VADA) represents franchised new car and truck dealers in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Formed by dealers in 1943, VADA advocates for a regulatory environment that supports fair competition and enhances consumer safety. The association represents more than just the dealer, supporting every person across every team in the dealership operation.

About Dealer eProcess: Dealer eProcess is a digital retailing and website provider that partners with dealerships to enhance their online presence and digital strategy. They focus on helping dealers provide an omnichannel, seamless experience for online shoppers by prioritizing transparency, consistency, and information accuracy across all platforms.

About the Guests:

Chris Einterz: Chris is the Director of Online Retailing at Dealer eProcess. He brings practical, real-world dealership experience to his role, having previously spent about eight years working in the automotive industry as a sales and F&I manager.
Tim Pohanka: Tim serves as the Executive Vice President of the Pohanka Automotive Group. In addition to his leadership role, Tim is also one of the creators and stars of "Tour Detour," a dealer-led road trip video series that tests the real-world limits of the vehicles dealers sell every day.

Is your parts department the most neglected, underappreciated, and misunderstood department in your dealership?

In this episode, we sit down with Brian Crossin, an instructor at NADA Academy who brings over two decades of fixed operations and parts management experience to the table. Brian explains why dealerships routinely hand over half a million dollars in inventory capital to their parts teams without providing the formal sales and financial education needed to maximize that investment. In this episode, we cover:

The Sales Mindset: Why the biggest blind spot for dealers is failing to treat the parts department like a true sales department capable of generating service appointments and vehicle sales.

The Phone Call Problem: How mystery shops reveal a severe lack of sales training on the parts counter, despite staff fielding 50 to 100 phone calls per person, per day.

Crucial Metrics: Why tracking "Investment Quality" and the all-important "First-Time Fill Rate" matters far more than just monitoring obsolescence.

Technology & AI: The importance of fully utilizing your current DMS, and how artificial intelligence and machine learning are poised to revolutionize inventory management.

Customer Experience: Why the ultimate rule of fixed ops is to "not make the customer work"—and how to eliminate friction points like bouncing customers back and forth for simple repair quotes.

Navigating Tariffs: Why the parts department's existing systems are already well-equipped to handle the cost fluctuations brought on by international trade tensions.

Whether you're looking to launch a nationwide e-commerce strategy or just want to master the mundane basics of customer experience, this episode is packed with practical insights to elevate your fixed operations.

About VADA:
The Virginia Automobile Dealers Association (VADA) represents franchised new car and truck dealers in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Formed by dealers in 1943, VADA advocates for a regulatory environment that supports fair competition and enhances consumer safety. The association uses its collective power to proactively preserve, protect, and enhance the economic life, relationships, and image of its members across the state.

About NADA Academy:
The National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Academy prepares current and future dealership leaders to improve each department's profitability while examining how new technology and innovations reshape the retail automotive industry. Through comprehensive programs taught by industry experts, the Academy provides hands-on practical application to help automotive professionals develop an end-to-end view of business and dealership operations.

About the Guest (Brian Crossin):
Brian brings 21-plus years of fixed operations experience to NADA. Before joining NADA, he was involved in all aspects of dealership parts operations, including 12 years in parts management. Brian’s passion for teaching, mentoring, and process improvement led him to NADA. He is certified in change management and as a Master Trainer by the Association for Talent Development. Brian currently facilitates Fixed Operations 1—Parts Department.