The automotive industry is evolving fast—and dealerships are being forced to adapt.

In this episode of The Presidio Group’s Podcast “Full Throttle”, host Jason Stein sits down with Scott Gunnell, President of JM&A Group, to break down how AI, data, and shifting consumer behavior are reshaping the dealership model.

From rising cost pressures to the growing role of automation, Scott shares how dealers can stay competitive—and why leveraging data is no longer optional.

They also dive into JM&A’s latest innovation, Gyde, a new platform designed to transform the F&I process using real-time data, AI-driven insights, and personalized customer experiences.

🚗 What You’ll Learn:
- How AI is changing the dealership experience
- Why dealership margins are under pressure
- The role of data in improving F&I performance
- How personalization (personas) is shaping customer interactions
- What dealers should focus on to improve efficiency and profitability
- Why the auto industry continues to show resilience

⏱ Key Topics Covered:
- Introduction of Gyde (Guiding Your Dealership Experience)
- AI-powered decision making in F&I
- Cost reduction and operational efficiency
- Dealer strategies for navigating margin compression
- Industry outlook and growth projections

🎙 About the Guest:
Scott Gunnell is the President of JM&A Group, a leading provider of F&I products, training, and dealership performance solutions. With decades of experience, Scott is at the forefront of helping dealers adapt to a rapidly changing automotive landscape.

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0:00 – Scott Gunnell joins Full Throttle to discuss the future of dealerships, AI, and F&I
0:23 – Dealer optimism, skepticism, and rising curiosity around AI
2:00 – What is Gyde? A new approach to F&I using data, automation, and integration
3:45 – How personalization is changing the dealership experience
5:45 – Reducing the learning curve from 500–600 deals to real-time guidance
7:58 – The strategy behind owning the transaction and continuous iteration
10:20 – FlexCare Drive + investing in the future of automotive talent
14:45 – Where dealers should focus to improve efficiency and profitability
17:40 – Why the auto industry remains strong despite economic pressures

What really happened inside Mercedes-Benz during the last five years of industry upheaval?

In this episode of The Presidio Group’s Podcast Full Throttle, host Jason Stein sits down with Joseph Agresta Jr., fresh off a rare three-year term leading the Mercedes-Benz National Dealer Board.

Agresta shares a candid look at what dealers experienced during one of the most turbulent periods in automotive history — from COVID supply chain disruption and EV strategy shifts to margin negotiations, facility investments, and dealer-OEM alignment.

He also weighs in on where the industry is headed next, including electric vehicles vs. hybrids, direct-to-consumer sales models, and how Mercedes plans to regain market share.

In this conversation:
- Why Mercedes may have missed a major growth opportunity
- The reality of the EV transition and Tesla competition
- How dealer profitability has changed since COVID
- Why direct-to-consumer sales may not work for automakers
- The importance of dealer-OEM alignment in today’s market
- What’s next for Mercedes-Benz dealers and luxury auto retail

Agresta also reflects on his family’s 100-year legacy in the automotive business and why he remains bullish on the industry despite rapid change.

If you want an inside look at the relationship between automakers and dealers — and the future of luxury automotive retail — this conversation is a must-listen.

0:00 – Intro
1:41 – Did Mercedes miss a major growth opportunity?
3:09 – Dealer friction, restructuring, and rebuilding transparency
5:00 – Mercedes’ ambitious plan: 400,000 vehicles by 2030
6:49 – Why dealers trust new Mercedes leader Adam Chamberlain
8:23 – Dealer margins, profitability, and the next big negotiation
14:09 – Mercedes EV strategy vs. Tesla and the future of powertrains
18:08 – Why automakers and dealers must win together
21:03 – Direct-to-consumer car sales: myth or real threat?

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For 25 years, dealership technology has barely changed.

Layered apps. Fragmented systems. Limited productivity gains.

Now Bill Berman — CEO of Pinewood.AI — says that era is over.

In this episode of The Presidio Group’s Podcast “Full Throttle”, host Jason Stein sits down with Berman at NADA in Las Vegas to discuss:
• Why Pinewood isn’t “just another DMS”
• What an embedded AI operating system actually looks like
• The rise of the “digital worker” inside dealerships
• Why most AI in automotive is just another layer — not a solution
• How Pinewood scaled to 4,000+ rooftops globally
• And what it means to launch in North America with Lithia as a strategic partner

Berman shares his journey from leading major retail operations in the U.S. to running a publicly traded automotive tech company on the London Stock Exchange — including signing his CEO contract just weeks before the global shutdown of 2020.

This isn’t about chatbots.
It’s about replacing fragmented systems with a unified automotive intelligence platform built by car people, for car people.

If you’re a dealer principal, operator, or automotive tech executive — this conversation matters.

🎙 Hosted by Jason Stein
🏁 The Presidio Group’s Automotive Industry Podcast

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#Automotive #Dealerships #AI #DealerTech #Lithia #NADA #FullThrottle #AutoIndustry