The Collision Industry Electronic Commerce Association (CIECA) announced it will be holding a CIECAST webinar on “Preparing for the EV Revolution” on Jan. 26 at 1 p.m. CST.

The one-hour live broadcast will feature three presenters from different segments of the collision industry who will explore the potential impact of electric vehicles (EVs). They include:

• John Eck, collision manager, Wholesale Dealer Channel, General Motors Customer Care & Aftersales
• Chris Evans, claim consultant, P&C Claims, State Farm Insurance Companies
• Pete Tagliapietra, business development leader, NuGen IT, an OEC company

Eck has more than 30 years of automotive aftermarket experience with General Motors and has held numerous field sales, marketing and management positions in several business segments in the U.S., Canada and South Africa. He is currently responsible for managing the collision business, including GM Dealer Wholesale parts strategies, programs and industry relationships. Additionally, Eck serves on the I-CAR board of director’s Finance Committee, held the position of president and chairman of the board for the OEM Roundtable from 2017-2020 and is an active participant on the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) Governance Committee.

Evans joined State Farm in 1988 as a field claim adjuster in Ohio and eventually moved to State Farm’s corporate offices in Bloomington, Ill. Over the years, he has held various positions in claims and is currently a claim consultant with consulting responsibilities for the Western U.S. and In-Office Auto Claim operations. Evans represents State Farm at many industry activities, such as serving on I-CAR’s board of directors, chairman emeritus to the Collision Repair Education Foundation and committee chair for CIC. Evans is a SkillsUSA alumnus and serves as national committee chair for the Collision Damage Appraisal competition.

Tagliapietra has more than 35 years of experience in the collision industry, working in various segments. In his current role, he assists with the new product strategy for the combined market segments served by OE Connection (OEC). He also helps with developing and launching new product initiatives and facilitates strategic partnerships with companies and individuals. As a strong industry supporter, Tagliapietra presents at industry events and is involved in several associations, including CIC, CIECA and SCRS. He is an active member of CIECA’s board of trustees and advocates standards development for the collision industry.

With many OEMs committed to the large-scale production of EVs, the presenters will share insight on how this change will affect the different segments of the collision industry, what can be done to prepare and the role CIECA standards will play in the future.

All industry segments, including CIECA members and non-members, are invited to attend. Following the presentation, there will be a Q&A session.

Attendees can earn Automotive Management Institute (AMi) credit toward an industry-recognized, professional designation and specialty degree by attending this webinar.

To register for the CIECAST, click here.