ARI's Remarketing Manager Collaborates with IARA Committees

Chris Clarke, manager of North American remarketing for ARI, CAR, currently serves as a board member for the International Automotive Remarketers Alliance (IARA), and works closely with the Alliance’s Membership, Education, and Canadian Committees.

One recent collaboration includes the continued development of the IARA’s CAR Certification program for the Canadian market, said Clarke. The CAR Certification program is the alliance’s remarketing certification program.

“Understanding the value of this program and having the desire to bring the same level of training and certification to our operations and staff in Canada, I have been working with John Paonessa, an IARA Director and Co-Chair of the Canadian Committee, to help modify and ‘Canadianize’  the Certification Testing,” he said. “Currently, Jim Jackson, supervisor of vehicle remarketing, North America, ARI, and I are working with our remarketing team in Canada to review and modify the testing.  We hope to have a final product deliverable in 2018.”

Clarke has also supported efforts for the Membership Committee and its Co-Chair Tom Wright, national sales manager, institutional sales, XLerate Group, by reaching out to various contacts in the industry to join or support the IARA.  

IARA History

Clarke said he became involved with the IARA shortly after joining ARI three years ago. With over 25 years vehicle remarketing experience, which includes time spent as a buyer, seller and consignor of vehicles, as well as a partner for auctions, dealers, retail, and online sales, he said his experiences help him understand and relate to some of the unique challenges and perspectives that different members are facing.

“This level of understanding allows for a better level of collaboration.  Working with and listening to individuals from the banking or rental car, dealer or auction side of the business has helped me to think differently and work more effectively with the membership to focus on a broad base of topics impacting various segments of the industry,” he said. “This ability to understand the broader industry challenges helps to shape initiatives that add value to the mission of the IARA.”

Clarke, who will be attending the IARA Spring Roundtable sessions and the 2018 Conference of Automotive Remarketing (CAR), at Caesar Palace in Las Vegas this March, believes that IARA is a critical resource for the future of the industry. He says the alliance allows consignors to connect and collaborate in ways that will help bring about impactful change in a structured and efficient way.  

“Many years of partnership and collaboration across multiple organizations have helped to establish standards, raise transparency, develop training and safety  and drive innovation that has shaped remarketing today,” said Clarke. “These changes have delivered positive results for both the buyers and sellers as well as the mediums that have been used to execute those sales.  I expect that the IARA will continue to focus in these areas and will operate with a renewed focus on ensuring that traditional and non-traditional channels will be afforded the same opportunities to participate and share in all that our industry has to offer."