AutoTrust Dealer Alliance Expands Leadership to Accelerate Industry Transformation

BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MI, October 20th, 2025 — AutoTrust Dealer Alliance (AutoTrust), the first 100% Dealer-Owned alliance open to every dealer, today announced the appointment of two senior executives to accelerate the organization's growth and expand its value proposition to dealer members nationwide. Carmen Torres joins as President of AutoTrust Protect, and James Wood joins as Senior Vice President of AutoTrust Financial Services.

"Carmen and James bring the exact combination of industry expertise, operational excellence and entrepreneurial drive to AutoTrust at this critical stage of our growth," said David Mondragon, CEO of AutoTrust Dealer Alliance. "As we scale rapidly and onboard dealer members nationwide, having proven leaders who understand both the dealer perspective and the complexities of F&I and lending solutions is essential as we drive industry transformation forward. This strengthened leadership team positions us to fulfill our mission of returning power — and profits — to dealers."

As President of AutoTrust Protect, Torres will serve as the senior operating executive responsible for leading AutoTrust Protect in service of driving enhanced dealer profitability across the F&I product portfolio, overseeing sales, training, claims processing, product development and overall dealer performance.

"AutoTrust is rewriting the rules of how dealers work together," said Torres. "I've watched cooperatives talk about putting dealers first for years, but this is the first time I've seen one actually structured to do it — where the people using the platform own it, shape it and share in its success. I'm here because I believe we can prove that dealers don't have to choose between great F&I products and keeping their profits. They can have both."

With over 20 years in F&I and third-party administration, Carmen has built her reputation on helping dealers increase profitability through data intelligence, operational discipline and strategic financial planning. Most recently, she served as Chief Revenue Officer at Smart AutoCare. Prior to that, she served as Senior Vice President of Sales at iA American Warranty Group and SouthwestRe.

Wood Rounds Out Leadership Additions

Wood brings three decades of automotive industry expertise, with an extensive background in consumer and commercial lending. Most recently, he spent over 10 years at JPMorgan Chase & Co., where he served as Region Sales Director for Dealer Services for California and several western states and Chairman of the bank’s Northern CA market. He also served in roles for VW Credit and GMAC, as well as a retail dealer experience at the Von Housen Automotive Group.

As Senior Vice President of Financial Services, Wood is responsible for the relationship between AutoTrust and finance companies. He is tasked with leveraging the alliance’s collective buying power to negotiate incentives, favorable credit terms and operational benefits that improve dealer finance department profitability.

"Having worked on both sides of the table, from captive finance at Volkswagen of America and General Motors to regional management in dealer services at JPMorgan Chase, I understand exactly what lenders are willing to offer when you have real negotiating power," said Wood. "AutoTrust gives family-owned dealers that power for the first time, and I'm using those relationships and industry insights to deliver programs that strengthen their profitability."

These two appointments bolster AutoTrust's leadership team as the cooperative continues nationwide enrollment and prepares to roll out its expanded suite of F&I products and enhanced member benefits in Q4 2025. To learn more about the AutoTrust Dealer Alliance, visit https://www.autotrustdealer.com/.

About AutoTrust Dealer Alliance:

AutoTrust Dealer Alliance is a 100% dealer-owned cooperative that aggregates member purchasing power to negotiate wholesale pricing across F&I, lending, technology, advertising and general procurement. Members benefit from immediate margin gains, quarterly profit distributions and equity ownership in the alliance.