The Auto Care Association has named Jim Smith as its senior director of technology standards and solutions and the new liaison to the association’s Technology Standards committee. The Auto Care Technology Standards Committee develops industry-specific standards and best business practices in the area of electronic commerce and data exchange.
In his role as senior director, technology standards and solutions, Smith focuses on building strong relationships with key industry stakeholders, driving innovation and improving the business value of association offerings to the industry. As the Technology Standards committee liaison, Smith will further assist with making critical connections between members of the auto care industry and the committee in order to successfully achieve its mission of being responsive to association member needs, affecting a lower cost of doing business and increasing efficiency throughout the auto care market supply chain.
Smith began working closely with the Technology Standards committee as a volunteer member and industry participant for more than eight years, formally joining the Auto Care Association in August 2018 as a member of the technology department. Smith brings with him more than 35 years of auto care industry experience at Genuine Parts Co. (NAPA).
Smith started his automotive career in 1983 with General Auto Parts, a NAPA member located in Dallas, Texas, as manager of the store support center servicing more than 3,000 NAPA Auto Parts Stores. Prior to starting with General Auto Parts, Smith was the store manager for his father’s store in Muncie, Indiana. In 1997, Smith transferred to the corporate headquarters of Genuine Parts Co. in Atlanta, Georgia, as manager of training and customer education for TAMS (Total Automotive Management System – a store management system). In 1999, he was promoted to director of special projects and was responsible for the first data warehouse and the introduction of TAMS into NAPA Canada. Since then, he has held the roles of director of customer satisfaction, director of TAMSII product and in the last 10 years, director of digital content services for NAPA U.S., NAPA Canada and NAPA Mexico.
Since joining the Auto Care Association, Smith has focused his efforts as senior director of standards and solutions on the adoption of the standards by the industry.
Smith’s efforts to achieve Aftermarket Catalog Exchange Standard (ACES) and Product Information Exchange Standard (PIES) adoption by all industry retailers demonstrates his commitment, vision and passion for the auto care industry, making him the subject matter expert needed to lead the association’s technology standards team as well as its dynamic group of industry volunteers of the committee.
“The Technology Standards Committee is vital to this industry,” said Taylor Mitchell, senior vice president, technology and standards, Auto Care Association. “Its leadership role in the development of ACES and PIES has brought incredible value and efficiencies. We are excited to see Jim continue this long tradition and bring even more value and efficiencies to the aftermarket.”
