Robertson to Offer Glimpse Into Future at Dealer Summit
TAMPA, Fla. — Organizers of Dealer Summit announced that David Robertson, longtime executive director of the Association of Finance & Insurance Professionals (AFIP), will present a session dedicated to regulatory compliance at the 2016 event, which will be held May 3–5 at the Sheraton Tampa Riverwalk Hotel.
“Dave Robertson brings both wit and wisdom to the Dealer Summit stage,” said David Gesualdo, show chair and publisher of Auto Dealer Today and F&I and Showroom. “We are counting on him to shed some light on the current and future state of the F&I office and set the stage for the compliance sessions that will follow.”
Robertson is a 45-year automotive industry veteran and, in 1989, was among the founders of AFIP. He will present the F&I Keynote Address, “A Look to the Foreseeable Horizon,” at 9:10 a.m. on Wednesday, May 4. He is expected to comment on the wave of recent developments in the F&I segment and how dealers, agents, finance companies and OEMs have responded.
"While there are exceptions, the impetus for F&I-related innovation typically germinates from the bottom up,” Robertson said. “Unfulfilled consumer needs are first recognized at the dealership level, with the general agent corps and aftermarket product providers acting as first responders. Once the viability of a new product or service is established, the captive and institutional lenders and manufacturers follow suit."
Registration for Dealer Summit is now open at the event’s website. Dealers who register by April 1 will enjoy a $100 early-bird discount.
For information about exhibition and sponsorship opportunities, contact David Gesualdo via email or at 727-947-4027.
More Industry

Pennsylvania Dealership Under New Retailers
The sale of the Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram store puts a family auto group on a leaner path as first-time dealers take the helm.
Read More →
Battery Storage Takes Priority Over EVs
U.S. automakers are prioritizing battery energy stationary storage over electric-vehicle production as the consumer demand for EVs lags the rest of the world.
Read More →
Auto Dealers Feel Better But Not Great
A second-quarter Cox Automotive poll of franchised retailers and independents found better views of the current market after a good spring but anticipation of third-quarter storminess.
Read More →
New-Vehicle Sales Picture Relative
A May forecast is complicated by last spring’s trade tariff effects on auto retail. Despite continued hard realities, many consumers took advantage of ways to bite the bullet.
Read More →
Auto Group Acquires Third Nissan Rooftop
Iowa-based Coleman Automotive Group recently acquired its seventh dealership, McGrath Nissan, which it renamed Nissan of Elgin.
Read More →
April Less Affordable
Based on prices, reduced incentives and slower household income growth, consumers found it more challenging to buy new last month, Cox Automotive reported.
Read More →
Building an Extraordinary F&I Agency
Work to determine your specialized talent, because that fact will determine everything about your agency’s future.
Read More →
Recipe for Compliance
The secret to both amazing barbecue and compliance is the same: understanding the basics and committing to a process.
Read More →
EVs Getting More Attractive
A growing percentage of U.S. consumers are open to switching and fewer are adverse to the idea, according to a recently completed survey. That’s despite the end of a tax break.
Read More →
EV Sales Drop in April Following Surge
North American electric-vehicle sales were down 28% year-over-year, a sharp contrast from global EV sales growth of 6%.
Read More →