Mechanic industry
Stuart “Stu” Klein appointed to newly created position of Senior Director, Body Shop
This article is an AI automatic translation
The Automotive Industries Association of Canada (AIA Canada) is pleased to announce the appointment of Stuart “Stu” Klein to the newly created position of Senior Director, Body Shop. In this role, Stu will join the Association’s senior management team, which helps guide AIA Canada’s support and advocacy of the Canadian automotive service and repair industry. Stu will play a key role in helping AIA Canada lead its efforts in the body shop industry.
The appointment was officially announced at the Canadian Collision Industry Forum (CCIF) conference in Toronto on February 3, 2023.
About Stu
Stu brings to AIA Canada over 45 years of hands-on experience in the collision industry, having worked his way up from the shop floor to the head office. He is a Red Seal Technician with 20 years of experience in repair shops, where he has held a variety of roles, including body technician, painter, production manager, estimator and general manager. He then moved to the insurance side of the collision industry, spending ten years with State Farm Insurance, where he rose through the ranks from appraiser to overseeing a territory with several direct repair facilities. Stu then moved to Fix Network’s corporate office, where he has worked for 15 years. He worked closely with the shops to help them focus on improvement, before being selected to lead Fix Network’s state-of-the-art training center in Milton, Ontario, when it opens in 2019.
An advocate of continuous learning and training, Stu has been an instructor for I-CAR Canada, a training and certification program for the collision industry managed by AIA Canada. He is a certified welding trainer and maintains his personal I-CAR platinum status as a structural technician, non-structural technician, painter and estimator. He has participated in countless events to promote the industry to youth, including lending his expertise and experience to Skills Canada as a judge at the provincial and national levels.
“While my decision to leave the Fix Network training center is bittersweet, overseeing AIA Canada’s collision programs gives me the opportunity to have a positive impact on the industry as a whole,” said Stu.
About the position
The new position of Senior Director, Body Shop reflects AIA Canada’s commitment to supporting and strengthening the Canadian body shop industry.
“The creation of a new position builds on recent initiatives taken by AIA Canada to ensure the success of the collision industry, including increased support for the Canadian Collision Industry Forum and the creation of a Collision Council,” said Andrew Shepherd, AIA Canada’s senior director, executive director of industry programs and executive director of I-CAR Canada. “Stuart will be part of AIA Canada’s senior management team and will be involved in all facets of the collision industry, including manufacturer relations, I-CAR training and industry advocacy with government.”
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