Brian Cruickshank, AAP, was named director of Northwood University’s University of the Aftermarket (UofA) in February 2008. As an award-winning automotive journalist and editor, Cruickshank spent 14 years at Babcox Publications (parent company of aftermarketNews) where he served in a number of editorial and leadership roles. Since 1999, he worked as the editor of Counterman magazine, and also directed the editorial content of all of Babcox Publication’s AAPEX properties, including AAPEX Today, the official daily magazine of the AAPEX show in Las Vegas. In today’s Executive Interview, Cruickshank brings us up to speed on the many changes that have taken place at the University of the Aftermarket since he became director in 2008. He also talks about the value of executive education for today’s incoming aftermarket leaders, as well as the university’s new “On-Demand” online education offering.

In the nearly two years you have been its director, the University of the Aftermarket has seen significant changes in programming, content delivery and even the organization’s fundamental mission. Have these changes helped drive positive results for U of A?

Absolutely. We’re moving forward at a much faster pace and delivering more value to our constituents and the industry as a whole. One of the challenges that faced the U of A over the preceding five to eight years was a lack of focus – we were trying to be everything to everybody. This might have been a viable strategy back in the 1980s and ’90s, but the industry has changed dramatically since then. For example, program groups have taken a very aggressive role in providing business and technical training to shop professionals. Our role is to provide true university-level business management education for each step of the supply chain, from manufacturer to distributor to store professional and, ultimately, to a new generation of shop owners. Where do business managers at all levels of the industry go to enhance their ability to think more strategically? They can now turn to the University of the Aftermarket. That’s our ‘sweet spot’; it’s where we have the ability to provide the greatest value and a truly world-class educational experience.

Are you satisfied with the progress made to date, or are there more enhancements to come?

I’m never satisfied but I do believe we have made a lot of progress in a relatively short period of time. We’ve sharpened our focus, transformed our curriculum and fundamentally changed our approach to education delivery. Until 2009 aftermarket professionals had to travel to a remote location – spending precious time and money – to access our programs. And, frankly, fewer of them were able to take advantage of our programming each year. Now they can reach us online at any time, day or night, via our new 30- to 45-minute ‘On-Demand’ video courses and in-depth, semester-long distance learning programs. They can also attend University of the Aftermarket-accredited seminars and other programs at most major industry events. And a growing number of organizations, including manufacturers and distribution networks, are relying on us to help create, accredit and administer their own continuing education programs for employees and customers. The University of the Aftermarket/CARQUEST School of Business is a great example of a program that is delivering a university-level learning experience to hundreds of business owners and managers.

So, we’ve made significant progress, but I’m certainly not satisfied that we’ve met all of our goals. We’re getting closer every day.

What unique value does the new U of A provide to the industry today?

Thousands of aftermarket professionals are looking for university-level instruction in dozens of key subject areas impacting their businesses. They’re looking for the opportunity to challenge their thinking and enhance their strategic capabilities with the help of highly skilled collegiate instructors who understand this industry. They want a world-class learning experience that will provide them with the tools needed for a more successful career and more successful business performance. Only we can do that within the automotive and commercial-vehicle aftermarkets. Our affiliation with Northwood University enables us to combine the faculty and resources of a global learning institution with a curriculum that reflects what’s really happening in our industry and the broader business world.

Networking has always been an important part of U of A programs. How is the University of the Aftermarket Alumni Association fulfilling this role and how can industry professionals become involved?

You’re right that many of our participants have enrolled in University of the Aftermarket programs as a means of meeting and sharing ideas with their peers. We’re enhancing this capability through more flexible program delivery formats but also through the Alumni Association, which we are confident will become the industry’s pre-eminent networking forum. Anyone with an affiliation with the University of the Aftermarket – through past coursework, an AAP or MAAP certificate or simply a goal to earn one of these valuable certificates – can join the Alumni Association by visiting our Facebook page. We’re also planning several enhancements to the online networking and ideas exchange functionality available through the association.

How do you articulate the value of the AAP and MAAP certificates to aftermarket organizations and professionals? How important will these certificate programs be over the long term?

Our certificate programs are absolutely central to everything we do, and for good reason. All you have to do is look at the business education investment being made year-in and year-out at the dealership level to understand that a commitment to learning is a major competitive asset in the vehicle parts and service categories. Let’s face it, those dealership professionals are pursuing new ideas and strategies to earn a larger share of our market. Yet, our industry has traditionally been so fragmented that we haven’t presented a united front in addressing this challenge. The AAP and MAAP certificate programs represent the only industry-specific education standard for the thousands of business professionals who are hoping to build strong, enduring aftermarket careers and enterprises. But we as an industry are only as strong as our weakest link – we need to encourage all distribution businesses, all manufacturing operations and related organizations to bring their key employees up to this standard, just as vehicle OEMs require their dealership professionals to maintain training certification.

We’ve heard several positive comments about the first series of programs now available through the University of the Aftermarket “On-Demand” feature.  How will this capability change and grow in the coming year?

The “On-Demand” programs now available through universityoftheaftermarket.com have been extremely popular so far, and yet we have only scratched the surface when it comes to topics. We plan to roll out several new sessions covering everything from utilizing a data warehouse to managing a sales team. We are open to any and all ideas from your audience – the beauty of this flexible new delivery method is that we can ramp up production of sessions to meet the needs of our users. I’d like to invite AMN readers to share their ideas for online courses with me; we’ll take those ideas, find the right presenters and deliver valuable, compelling programs.

Is there an audience you feel you have not reached yet with the U of A message but who is vital to your mission?

We are planning a few exciting new initiatives that will enable us to provide greater value as an education resource to a variety of manufacturing and distribution organizations. One area where we can really help is in the area of HR support. I often hear from manufacturers and distributors that finding and training the right new people is very difficult. This industry is unlike any other in the global economy and we all know that the skill sets and characteristics of a successful aftermarket business manager are hard to define. We can play a valuable role in helping industry HR professionals and business owners identify, hire and support the best new talent. You’ll see much more about this initiative in the coming months.