Speakers
Eric Arnum
Publisher
Donald Berry,
VP, Insurance – International Operations
Angie Breedlove
Executive Director
Keith Cook
Director – Subaru Added Security
Ted Danner
Principal
Guennael "G" Delorme
VP/GM, Global Trade-In
Rebecca Fields-Arden
President
David Froning
Portfolio Manager of IOT Solutions
Ty Halcomb
Voluntary Protection Products Technology Manager
Matthew Jackson
Manager of Product and Pricing, A/I Project Team Lead
Guy Koenig
President
Jeremy Kuchenbecker
Jeremy Kuchenbecker Vice President - Enterprise Digital Strategy
Ashok Kartham
Ashok Kartham Founder & CEO
Aleem Lakhani
CEO
Tim Meenan
Managing Partner
Travis Moore
General Counsel
Ted Moorthy
President
Jim Mostofi
Chief Executive Officer
Gregory Myers
Executive Managing Director
Joe Pak
Co-founder & CEO
Kolby Rath
Global Extended Warranty Business Manager
Pedro T. Rodriguez
Chief Revenue Officer
Kevin Roney
Business Development, Extended Service Plans
Shawna Rooney
Sr. Director of Membership, Services, and Warranty
Matan Slagter
Founder and CEO
Lari Stone
Product Manager, Meta Warranty Plus
Speaker Details
Eric Arnum
Publisher
Warranty Week
Eric Arnum is the editor of Warranty Week, an online publication written for the
warranty industry professional. Based in New York and launched in late 2002 as
both a free weekly email broadcast and a website at www.warrantyweek.com, the
newsletter has quickly gained a following among manufacturers, retailers,
servicers, and insurance professionals. Subscriptions to the free weekly email
edition have now surpassed 7,000 people, while Web traffic is typically around
12,000 to 15,000 page views per week.
Weekly topics have included specific market close-ups on product warranties,
extended warranties, claims rates in industries such as air conditioning,
automotive, PCs, disk drives, printers, consumer electronics, solar panels,
construction, mining, telecommunications equipment, plasma TVs, jetliners,
sports stadiums, new homes, skateparks, and farm equipment. On a quarterly
basis, trends in warranty claims and accruals by more than 800 manufacturers are
detailed in depth. Also featured are periodic articles about industry
conferences and warranty claim processing and analysis software providers.
Before launching Warranty Week, Arnum edited two different newsletters about the
data communications industry -- Messaging Online, and Electronic Mail & Micro
Systems (EMMS) -- while also engaging in custom research projects tracking the
growth of the World Wide Web in Europe and the market for Internet services in
South America. He also has worked as a reporter and freelance photographer for
various online music publications. Eric Arnum is a graduate of Syracuse
University with a degree in economics.
Donald Berry
VP, Insurance – International Operations
GM Financial
Don has more than 25 years of proven achievement in the automotive OEM / Captive Financial Services area. As Vice President at GM Financial, he is responsible for developing and executing the insurance strategy for General Motors dealers and customers in Latin America and Canada. Most recently, Don served as President and CEO of the VW Credit owned captive insurance subsidiaries in both Canada and US. He held progressive leadership roles at both Mercedes-Benz Financial and GMAC Insurance where he began his career. Don is a licensed Property and Casualty agent. He holds a B.B.A degree in Accounting from Western Michigan University and a M.B.A. degree in Finance from Wayne State University.
Angie Breedlove,
Executive Director
Women of Warranty
Angie Breedlove is a 30+ year veteran in the warranty industry with a knack for
getting things done, sometimes by sheer force of will, and sometimes with the
help of a double shot venti latte.
With a career that's taken her from processing warranty claims to starting a
company, she has led warranty strategy and development for Maytag, Lowe’s Home
Improvement, Assurant and is now CoFounder and Chief Revenue Officer for
Xcelerator Group. She likes to say if there is a job in the warranty and
services industry that she hasn’t done, it was probably in Accounting.
When she isn’t working with the team at Xcelerator Group, you can find her
leading Women of Warranty as their Executive Director. Women of Warranty was
founded in 2023 as a way to foster more female leaders, business owners,
entrepreneurs and trades people in the warranty industry.
Keith Cook,
Director – Subaru Added Security
Subaru
Ted Danner
Principal
Danner Automotive
Guennael "G" Delorme
VP/GM, Global Trade-In
Allstate Protection Plans/Square Trade
Guennael "G" Delorme is a long-time member of the mobility and reverse logistics industries. While at Samsung, he launched and ran both the first certified pre-owned phone and the first OEM trade-in program in the mobility industry, each to >$100M in revenue and beating Apple to market by 18 months each time. In the process, G ran programs for various partners including leading retailers such as Best Buy Samsung.com and B&H, as well as worked closely with Amazon, eBay and Walmart.com.
After a short stint back in consulting where he advised both large device protection companies and online wholesalers, Guennael joined Allstate in 2021 to develop a new global program from scratch as the VP/GM of Global Trade-in & Circular Economy.
Today, G owns product design and development, vendor management, business development, asset disposition and overall P&L for Trade-In, in addition to being a core member of the global BD team.
Last but not least, G is also active in various industry groups, to not only keep abreast of new trends but also help shape them.
Rebecca Fields-Arden
President
Excela Protect
David Froning
Portfolio Manager of IOT Solutions
SAS
David Froning directs a Product Management team that focuses on Quality &
Service Solutions. Mr. Froning works in partnership with manufacturers,
suppliers, and industry organizations to develop solutions for manufacturing
industry issues such as early warning, accelerated problem solving, predictive
maintenance, and fraud detection.
Before SAS, Mr. Froning worked for General Motors. He managed the development,
operation, and continual improvement of quality and warranty information systems
across GM’s North American operations and supplier community. His experience
also includes work with leading automotive market research firms. He holds a
Bachelor of Science from Michigan State University and a Master of Science from
the University of Wisconsin.
Ty Halcomb
Voluntary Protection Products Technology Manager
Toyota Financial Services
Ty Halcomb brings over 13 years of extensive warranty experience to the table, beginning his career at Toyota as a claims adjudicator. Over the years, he has navigated through various roles in loss control, product operations, and product development, accumulating a wealth of knowledge and expertise in the automotive industry.
Currently serving as the Voluntary Protection Product Technology Manager, Ty is entrusted with the pivotal responsibility of enhancing and modernizing originations and claims platforms. His relentless pursuit of innovation and dedication to improving operational efficiency make him a cornerstone of the team.
With a keen eye for detail and a passion for delivering top-notch solutions, Ty continues to drive excellence in the field, ensuring that products and services meet the evolving needs of customers, dealers, and stakeholders alike.
Matthew Jackson
Manager of Product and Pricing, A/I Project Team Lead
Hendrick Autoguard & NationsGuard
Guy Koenig
President
GSFSGroup
Guy Koenig was named President of GSFSGroup® in February 2019. With his extensive industry experience, commitment to innovation, and strategic decision making, he has led GSFSGroup into a period of tremendous growth. Prior to joining the GSFSGroup team, Mr. Koenig, served as President of AFG Companies (CareGard Warranty Services, Inc.). Additionally, he served as Chief Strategic Officer for AMT Warranty Corporation, a subsidiary of AmTrust Financial Services and as Director of Business Development and Operations for General Fidelity Insurance Company, a subsidiary of Bank of America. Mr. Koenig holds a BSBA in Corporate Finance and a Juris Doctorate from Drake University and is licensed to practice law in Iowa. He has also been invited to speak at a number of industry related conferences about innovation and technology in Finance and Insurance.
Jeremy Kuchenbecker
Vice President - Enterprise Digital Strategy
APCO Holdings
Jeremy has a 14-year track record in the retail automotive, aftermarket F&I, and TPA industries where he has successfully managed F&I departments and spearheaded strategic initiatives in sales and IT. Currently at APCO Holdings, Jeremy leads the Enterprise Digital Strategy where he is responsible for aligning data and technology with the company's overarching sales and technology strategy. Over his seven-year tenure with APCO, Jeremy has been the architect of numerous projects, ranging from enterprise level CRM buildouts and complex sales migrations to the development of e-commerce solutions and the creation of transformative data products. With unique expertise spanning sales, strategy, and IT, Jeremy's focus has been on the enhancement of the customer experience and the creation of sustainable competitive advantages for APCO within the marketplace. Beyond his corporate roles, Jeremy is also the founder of an innovative automotive SaaS company focused on enabling dealers to offer a fully digital sales and delivery experience. Jeremy earned his B.S. in Marketing from the University of Central Florida and extends his influence by sitting on the Board of the University of South Florida's Executive Digital Marketing program.
Ashok Kartham
Founder & CEO
Circuitry.ai
Ashok Kartham is the founder and CEO of Circuitry.ai, a decision intelligence platform to optimize sales and service outcomes for manufacturers. Ashok Kartham is a successful serial entrepreneur with over 25 years of experience as CEO of technology and enterprise software companies. His long track record of innovation, vision for the industry, and ability to build fast growing companies, which has resulted in 4CS acquisition by PTC, and Mize merger with Syncron, has positioned him well to take on the role of CEO for Circuitry.ai.
Aleem Lakhani
CEO
VectorSolv Inc
Aleem Lakhani is CEO of VectorSolv Inc., a datatech enterprise focused on next-generation solutions for the warranty industry. Aleem has 30 years of wide-ranging warranty industry experience, including domestic and international. Aleem’s academic training includes quantitative methods (McGill), operational research (MIT), behavioral sciences (Yale), and law (Toronto).
Tim Meenan
Managing Partner
Meenan P.A.
Tim Meenan is the Managing Partner of Meenan PA, an insurance and service contract regulatory law Firm. Tim was the founding General Counsel and Executive Director of the Service Contract Industry Council, the Guaranteed Asset Protection Alliance, and the Motor Vehicle Protection Products Association, and has presided over state law changes in all 50 state for almost 30 years which have created a stable regulatory environment for service contracts, GAP, and other protection products. Tim’s practice focuses on helping insurers, providers, administrators and others gain National compliance in this evolving area.
Travis Moore
General Counsel
Service Contract Industry Council (SCIC)
Travis Moore is General Counsel for the Service Contract Industry Council, Motor
Vehicle Protection Products Association, and the GAP Alliance. Travis engages
with regulators and legislators across the country to advocate for the home,
auto, and consumer goods service contract industries. In addition to being an
expert in the service contract regulatory world, Travis is an entrepreneur and
business owner in Kansas City.
Travis received a B.A. from North Park University in Philosophy with a
certificate in non-profit business administration from the Nonprofit Leadership
Alliance. He received his J.D. from the John Marshall Law School (now UIC
Chicago School of Law) and is the recipient of the Chicago Bar Liberty Bell
Award.
Ted Moorthy
President
Centricity
President Ted Moorthy has transformed Centricity from a traditional warranty company into a dynamic leader in lifestyle services. Moorthy joined Centricity in Jan.2022 to improve profitability and quicken the pace of growth.
Prior to joining Centricity, Moorthy served as Senior Vice President and President of Lifecycle Services for Likewize, which offers comprehensive protection for tech devices. He was appointed the Executive Lead for constructing consumer-centric and innovative products and services across global markets for warranty and insurance.
Prior to Likewize, Moorthy served as Vice President and Global Business Head, Trade-in & Upgrade at Assurant. In that role, he operated a global business with diverse teams directing the technology, analytics, digital, marketing, and supply chain operations using a product-oriented approach. He also cemented relationships with key partners in Europe, Asia, and Latin America.
Moorthy’s background is based in technology. He has a Master of Science in Industrial Engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington and a Bachelor of Engineering from the University of Pune, India.
Ted’s primary focus remains on delivering an exceptional customer experience and continuing to establish Centricity as a leader in lifestyle services and product protection.
Centricity collaborates with retailers, builder solutions companies, distributors, and manufacturers to deliver tailor-made product protection solutions, fostering increased revenue and cultivating a base of satisfied, loyal customers. Headquartered in St. Petersburg, Florida, Centricity stands as a privately held subsidiary of Bankers Financial Corporation, a venerable company with more than 47 years of rich history in service and protection.
For further information, please visit Centricity’s website at www.centricity.com.
Jim Mostofi
Chief Executive Officer
Rely Home
Career Summary
Jim Mostofi is the Chief Executive Officer of Choice Home Warranty. Prior to joining Choice, Mr. Mostofi was the Global Head of Business Development for the Service Programs Division of AIG Insurance and spent 10 years at Service Net Warranty, LLC, a leading warranty administrator, where he served in various roles including General Counsel, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Mostofi also spent several years advising warranty and non-warranty clients as a corporate attorney with Frost Brown Todd, LLC, specializing in merger and acquisitions and insurance regulatory matters. He began his career as a certified public accountant, where he spent 10 years working at several public accounting firms including the Chicago office of Ernst and Young where he specialized in taxation of large financial institutions.
Education and Credentials
Mr. Mostofi earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from New York University’s Stern School of Business. He also has an M.B.A. with a concentration in finance from Loyola University’s Graduate School of Business, and a J.D. from DePaul University College of Law.
Gregory Myers
Executive Managing Director
Brown & Brown
Greg Myers is an Executive Managing Director of Beecher Carlson leading the manufacturing sector. This also includes all extended warranty and F&I operations. Beecher Carlson specializes in insurance and reinsurance brokerage, consulting, and captive management for large corporations and groups. Mr. Myers has worked with Fortune 500 organizations in designing and implementing their insurance programs. Many of these programs have included captive insurance companies, rental captives, large deductible, and self–insured retentions. He has been named as an Automotive Power Broker by Risk & Insurance Magazine five times. Most recently he assisted an Asian and European manufacturing company in developing and placing a combined global property and marine insurance program. One of Mr. Myers specialties is in the areas of extended warranties and consumer insurance programs, many of which utilize a captive insurance company. He began working on extended warranties in 1985 when Beecher Carlson assisted in the development of an automotive OEM’s program. Mr. Myers has/is working on automotive companies, appliance manufacturers, road builders, and retailers. The work has expanded to other consumer insurance programs including consumer insurance and credit insurance. We currently work with 11 of the largest auto companies. Mr. Myers has been with Beecher Carlson since 1984. Prior to joining Beecher Carlson, he worked as a consultant with KPMG from 1982 to 1984 working on employee benefit programs and specifically developing software systems for calculating pension benefits. He worked with Tillinghast performing similar consulting work from 1979 to 1981. He spent one year between 1981 and 1982 working with Honeywell as a software engineer developing a new Cobol compiler. Mr. Myers is a frequent speaker at local and international risk management and insurance conferences. He has authored articles for such publications as the John Liner Review, Risk Management, Captive Insurance Company Review, Leaders, Asia Insurance Review and National Underwriter. Mr. Myers received his undergraduate degree and M.B.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Joe Pak
Co-founder & CEO
Amber
Joe Pak is the CEO and Co-Founder of Amber Technologies, a warranty and lifecycle management platform for electric vehicles. He started his career as a technical product leader at FiscalNote (NYSE: NOTE) and Samsara (NYSE: IOT), where he helped lead the two companies to their public listings and was most recently a venture capital investor at Point72 Ventures, the early-stage venture capital arm of Point72 Asset Management ($27B AUM).
Joe graduated from Harvard College and is based in San Francisco, California.
Kolby Rath
Global Extended Warranty Business Manager
Deere & Company
Kolby is the Global Extended Warranty Business Manager for Deere & Company In this role Kolby is responsible for the Extended Warranty business for both Ag & Turf and Construction & Forestry Divisions and sits on the Board of Directors for John Deere’s Captive Insurance Companies in both the US and Europe.
Kolby has spent 16 years with John Deere in various field, factory, and corporate roles within Customer & Product Support and Product Marketing. Prior to John Deere, Kolby gained valuable experience as a technician and Service Manager & Warranty at an Ag Equipment Dealership as well as a Harley Davidson Dealership.
Kolby grew up on a small Iowa farm balancing livestock and row crop with working in his father’s auto salvage business and grandfathers electrical and plumbing business. Kolby is a graduate of Iowa State University and enjoys spending time outdoors with his wife and three sons.
Pedro T. Rodriguez
Chief Revenue Officer
Sears Home Services
Kevin Roney
Business Development, Extended Service Plans
Whirlpool
Kevin Roney currently leads Business and Strategy Development for Whirlpool's Extended Service Plan program. Prior to this role, Kevin's career has touched on virtually every functional area of both manufacturing and service oriented companies, with a strong emphasis on Finance and P&L management. His passion for consumer focused loyalty initiatives has allowed him to develop multiple innovative business models, including several new consumer benefits for large OEM brands.
Kevin welcomes inquiries and benchmarking opportunities for all facets of the ESP Value Chain, where it does not introduce direct conflicts of interest with Whirlpool's proprietary business model.
Shawna Rooney
Sr. Director of Membership, Services, and Warranty
Best Buy
Matan Slagter
Founder and CEO
Armadillo
Matan is the Founder and CEO at Armadillo is the at – a tech enabled Home Warranty business. Prior to founding Armadillo, Matan served as the Head of Market Disruption and Innovation at AIG, where he oversaw the application of technology and transformative business models across Personal Insurance -- a global $11.5 billion P&C business. Matan has held multiple senior roles at AIG, including as Chief of Staff to the CEO of Global Personal Insurance. In this position he oversaw development of a strategy and plan, which was approved by AIG’s board of directors and yielded a $600 million increase in profitability. Matan had done extensive work with MGAs, which led to AIG underwriting a number of MGA programs, as well as conducting due diligence which culminated in AIG’s investment in a tech-enabled MGA based out of London. MGA programs underwritten by AIG include a Student Athlete protection program in the US, a Personal Cyber insurance and service offering in Singapore, an on-demand Travel insurance program in Canada and a High Net Worth Property program in the UK. Matan is a credentialed actuary, with working experience in insurance and reinsurance, and across Property and Casualty, Life and Retirement lines of business. Matan has held roles that span actuarial, underwriting, portfolio management, finance, strategy, marketing, technology and innovation.
Lari Stone
Product Manager, Meta Warranty Plus
Meta
Meet Lari Stone, the dynamic force behind the Meta Warranty Plus ESC covering Meta Quest Virtual Reality products. With a BA in Aerospace Engineering, Lari brings a wealth of technical expertise to the table, honed through roles in product managment and failure analysis and quality engineering. Her diverse background also includes environmental engineering in the gold mining industry, service business management as well as marketing and operations for a Colorado craft brewery. Now based in Charleston, WV, Lari's commitment to excellence makes her a catalyst for innovative warranty services for innovative product portfolios.