Rex Collins
Rex is a Principal of HBK CPAs & Consultants and directs the firm’s Dealership Group. He has worked extensively in the dealership industry since 1984 as a department manager, a general manager and an owner, as well as providing tax, accounting and operational consulting services exclusively to dealers as an independent CPA.
This experience includes working closely with hundreds of dealers from coast-to-coast since 1987 on creative tax planning and financial statements issues. He provides clients with a wide range of transaction work services, and consults for them in specialty areas such as operations, government regulatory compliance, valuations and M&A feasibility studies.
Rex is active in many professional associations. He is the current Chairman of the BDO Dealership Industry Group, contributes articles and commentary to dealership industry publications, is frequently called upon to speak to industry associations and conferences, provides expert testimony, and is regularly quoted by industry and the general media.
Bill Mayes
Bill has a breadth of experience with both OEM and retail experience, including 25 years with John Deere, where he held positions in Whole Goods Sales, Finance and Product Support. Bill was the Manager of Construction Parts Marketing at Deere & Co. when he left John Deere to accept a position as Director of Product Support for Case Construction. He subsequently held positions with CNH as Worldwide Director of Service Marketing and Sales Director, New Holland & Kobelco. Bill left CNH to join MachineryLink, a start-up rental company, where he was VP, Fleet Management and Field Operations.
His experience with MachineryLink provides a unique dealership relevant experience, because he was responsible for availability and operating cost of world's largest fleet of rental combines. In addition, he managed all customer facing support activities including a 24/7 live support hotline and the customer satisfaction process. As part of a Lean Management Philosophy he created a flexible staffing model to support MachineryLink combines with local talent throughout the U.S. and Canada on an as-needed basis.
Bill now uses his unique perspective and experience to help OEM’s and dealers improve their sales and profitability in Parts, Service and Whole Goods Sales. He is married and lives in Costa Rica.
Brian Gareau
Leveraging 31 years of corporate leadership experience, Brian Gareau specializes in strategic, tactical, and practical solutions to engage and accelerate high performance.
Brian is serving as a Senior Fellow, Human Capital at The Conference Board. In this role, he supports The Conference Board’s Human Capital Practice which includes The Conference Board Human Capital Exchange™, research, conferences, webcasts and programs in a broad spectrum of human capital areas.
Brian is the co-inventor of Caterpillar’s patent-pending Cultural Assessment Process (CAP) and was actively involved in the redesign of their global Employee Opinion Survey (EOS) process and the launch of their Corporate Values. Brian also helped lead the design and execution of Caterpillar’s highly successful global Employee Engagement strategy.
During his career he spent time in Manufacturing, Corporate Public Affairs, Parts & Service Sales, Logistics, and HR. He managed multiple operations and was directly involved in nine new plant start-ups. Brian has provided OE/OD consulting services to nearly 200 locations around the globe.
Brian is the author/co-author of four books: 180 Ways to Build Employee Engagement, A Slice of Life: The Benefits of Personal Engagement, Evan's Big Surprise and Reagan's Special Tree; and contributing author of The Engaged Workplace: Organizational Strategies. He has been a featured speaker at: The Conference Board, Corporate Leadership Council, Society of Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP), American Productivity & Quality Center (APQC), CUE, Dallas SHRM, CONEXPO, Con-Way Transportation, 3M, Texas A&M University, Snow & Ice Management Association (SIMA), SIGMA, McDonalds Corporation, DuPage SHRM, Kenexa, Crossroads United Methodist Church, and Bloomington-Normal HR Council.
In April 2017, Crittenton Center presented Brian with the Dr. Cindy Fischer Kids First Award for Excellence for his consistent support to their mission.
Richard Stewart
Dick is a veteran of the professional services sector with his career spent at Grant Thornton LLP and SAP. As a partner at Grant Thornton, Dick interacted with dozens of enterprises including independent equipment dealers. That experience feed his interest in why some companies do well and some do not, even though in the same industry. As a SVP and General Manager at SAP Dick engaged in leading edge technology issues and the reasons why the promise of technology often did not live up to its promise. At both Grant Thornton and SAP Dick held management and leadership positions that allowed him to work on the businesses in addition to in them.
Although formally retired, Dick’s curiosity and interest in business took him to the University of Denver where he is a 2018 Master of Science candidate with a focus on strategy and innovation. He has been sanctioned by the University to complete primary research in the independent equipment dealer sector with the aim of identifying emerging trends in dealer strategies and business models. That research is being conducted in partnership with AED.
Dick is a graduate of Wichita State University, the Young Presidents Organization, and executive programs from both Harvard and Wharton. Dick and his wife live in Colorado as do their married children and their grandchildren.