Management Team

Ken Fife - Chief Executive Officer, Executive Director

Ken Fife has been the CEO of Auto-IT since the company was formed by merger in January 2000. Prior to that, in 1987, he founded automotive system specialist company KGM Management. Under his leadership the initial operation comprising four people and 14 dealer management system (DMS) clients has grown to 80 staff with 20,089 software licensees in 1,200 dealer locations.

Ken is a leader in the dealer management system market and has formed strong relationships with most of the major original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in all the markets in which Auto-IT is actively engaged.

He was a major force behind the formation of the Australian Dealer Software Suppliers Association (ADSSA) and, apart from leading Auto-IT as its CEO, he has been the principal architect of Auto-IT’s strong offshore expansion.

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Michael Damianos - Non-Executive Director

Michael Damianos is a partner and CPA in a long established accounting practice with over 25 years experience in the automotive industry. His association with dealer management systems dates back to the early 80's when, through his accounting practice he developed an industry-specific automotive accounting system.

This led to the creation of one of the foundation companies that eventually became Auto-IT.

His accounting background is preceded by 10 years working in Sales and Marketing within the computer industry. This unique blend of experiences brings a valuable range of skills and knowledge to the business and in particular, the company's board.

Wayne Rushworth - Chief Operating Officer, Executive Director

Wayne Joined Auto-IT in 2005 following involvement in a consulting capacity. Prior to joining the company, Wayne had an extensive career in banking and finance spanning more than 25 years.

He has worked in institutional, corporate and commercial banking markets and in the finance company segment providing finance to the automotive and trucking industry.

Wayne has also worked on numerous projects including technology implementations and major change initiatives. He has a Bachelor of Economics, a Masters degree in Professional Accounting, is a CPA and is a Fellow of the Financial Services Institute of Australasia.

Aaran Newman - National Sales & Marketing Manager, Executive Director

A veteran of the motor industry, Aaran is the fourth generation of his family in the industry and has over 20 years experience. Son of Martin Newman, Managing Director of Newmans Motor Group and Newmans Information Services (NIS) Aaran filled a number of roles in both organisations gaining a strong insight into the workings of a dealership and a computer software company.

Since joining NIS (now Auto-IT) and prior to becoming National Sales and Marketing Manager, Aaran performed the roles of Support Consultant, Account Manager, Support Manager, Technical Services Manager, Accountant and Product Manager. Aaran has been instrumental in leading and driving the success of both our PMDS^® product and our Sales and Marketing teams.

Aaran holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree and a Graduate Diploma of Applied Finance and Investment from the Financial Services Institute of Australasia (FINSIA). He is a fellow of the Financial Services Institute of Australasia and is a fellow of the Corporate Directors Association of Australia.
 

Steve Hall - Product Manager - Red Hat® Enterprise Linux® (REL) Solutions

Steve Hall is the 'Father' of PMDS^®. Steve has almost 40 years experience as a programmer and 30 years writing Dealer Management System (DMS) software - after starting in the software industry in 1970. In 1980 Steve joined forces with Newmans Motor Group and together they created PMDS^®. At this stage most DMS's were simply accounting systems. As word spread of the effectiveness of the product more dealers were requesting the software and consequently Newmans Information Services (NIS) was formed. Steve was a founding shareholder of NIS and now Auto-IT and continues to write highly effective software for dealers to this day.
 

Roger Peffers - Managing Director - New Zealand

Roger is the Managing Director of Auto-IT NZ Ltd. He has worked in the automotive and IT related industries for 20 years, holding a number of key positions within franchise automotive dealerships. His last position before joining Auto-IT was Group Service Manager for a major Toyota dealership in Wellington.

With Mechanical qualifications and a Business Diploma from Victoria University, Roger has brought a systematic and logical approach to managing and developing Auto-IT’s profitable New Zealand operations. His wealth of hands-on experience within the dealership community and his extensive skill sets within the IT industry have ensured that under Roger’s leadership, the Auto-IT NZ team achieves some of the highest customer satisfaction ratings within the Auto-IT community. 
 

Frank Maiolo - Manager Strategic Projects

Frank started his professional life in business administration holding financial and management accountant positions and ultimately a Company Secretary position for a large Australian public company. His Computer Science qualification eventually led him to the IT industry where he designed systems for management of aeronautic components, freight management, retail and other industries.

His involvement with dealerships began 26 years ago. During this period he led the design, development and delivery of three retail dealer management system evolutions. His most satisfying achievement has been to deliver many technical firsts; under Frank’s direction Auto-IT’s dealer management system products have achieved world's best practice status.

Frank’s and his team’s efforts have led to the delivery of Auto-IT’s current Windows®-based retail dealer management systems, now with international deployment capabilities across a wide range of currencies, languages and statutory requirements.

Frank now heads up management of Auto-IT's Strategic Projects.
 

Peter Fritz – Manager eBusiness

Peter has worked with Auto-IT since 1997, bringing with him a unique combination of experience and skills across a range of technical and creative fields. Peter's background covers publishing, advertising, motor vehicle sales, multimedia and Web/eCommerce.

Peter developed a passion for the motor industry at an early age and spent 15 years building a career in the media with some of Australia’s premier motoring publications including Car Australia (now MOTOR), Australian Motorcycle News and 4x4 Australia - driving and photographing everything from Ladas to Lamborghinis alongside industry greats like Alan Jones, Jim Richards, Peter Brock and many others.

Along the way he developed freelance relationships with a number of marquee clients, including Mazda, SAAB and HSV. He went on to spend four years at a Honda dealership (and later, Mercedes Benz), setting a series of records along the way.

Peter is an integral part of the marketing team and is involved in all our offline and online marketing initiatives, including our three Websites.
 

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