The Collision Industry Electronic Commerce Association (CIECA) announced that Paul Barry was named executive director of the organization, effective June 1, 2020. In his new role, Barry will work with CIECA’s board of trustees to develop a clear mission and objectives for the organization as well as an effective strategy to accomplish those objectives.
“With the rapid changes to vehicles driven by technology, including autonomous vehicles, the Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI), the landscape is evolving very quickly,” said Barry. “My goal as executive director is to help the board identify challenges faced by the industry and work with all segments of CIECA’s member companies to develop a strategic roadmap to take us to the next chapter.”
Barry has more than 30 years in the insurance and technology industries. Over the last 20 years, he has held executive/senior leadership positions with a focus on claims and auto repair technology.
“We are excited to welcome Paul Barry to the CIECA team,” said Kim DeVallance Caron, chairwoman of CIECA and director of Global Product Development, Enterprise Holdings. “His years of industry experience, combined with his prior involvement with CIECA, will be instrumental in taking the organization into the future.
“On behalf of CIECA’s board of directors and members, we want to show our appreciation to Ed Weidmann, who has acted as CIECA’s interim director over the last year. Ed played an essential role in helping the organization continue its mission to develop and promote electronic standards that allow the collision industry to be more efficient.”
DeVallance Caron also thanked the executive director nominating committee, chaired by Roy Schnepper, owner of Butler’s Collision, for spearheading the search.
“Through their tireless efforts, we were able to find an executive director to help CIECA carry forth its mission,” said Caron.
Barry has a longstanding relationship with CIECA, having been involved with the organization in different roles for many years. From 2011 to 2013, he served on the executive committee as secretary, treasurer and vice chairman. He has also attended committee meetings as a company representative and/or a board member.
“CIECA was created when a number of people from around the industry realized the lack of standards for the exchange of data among different companies and the challenges this creates,” said Barry. “CIECA has come a long way in recent years with the development of the BMS. I am very excited about the opportunity to work with a lot of great companies and people at a time when the industry is going through major changes and look forward to meeting with industry leaders in the coming weeks and months.”
Barry grew up in upstate New York and attended the State University of New York at Buffalo, where he earned a degree in economics. He began his career with Safeco Insurance Company as an auto claims adjuster. After holding positions in insurance, he was asked to lead an effort to design and build an industry-leading claims system for Safeco. Barry eventually became vice president of national operations for the company.
After more than 20 years, Barry left Safeco and joined Performance Gateway to help design and build a software product for managing DRPs and collision repair analytics. From there, he became an independent consultant, where he led a variety of insurance and collision-related technology projects.
In 2015, Barry joined PEMCO Insurance to lead an initiative to transform the company’s claims and analytics systems. He went on to lead the claims organization as the vice president of claims.
Barry lives outside Seattle, Wash., with his wife, Jane. They have two daughters, Kelly and Allison. In his leisure time, he enjoys woodworking and golf.
