Agenda

Three days of insights, innovation and connections designed for F&I leaders.

September 9–11, 2026
Atlanta, Georgia
Georgia Tech Hotel &
Conference Center

Wednesday, September 9, 2026

6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Opening Reception with Exhibitors

Thursday, September 10, 2026

8:00 AM – 8:45 AM

Breakfast

8:50 AM – 9:00 AM

 
Welcome Address: Agents of Change

Tariq Kamal

Tariq Kamal
President and Publisher , ACE B2B

9:00 AM – 10:00 AM

 
Opening Keynote Address: AI in Claims: What’s Actually Working
(and What’s Still Hype)

Claims and warranty administration has run on manual review and static rules for decades, and most organizations are bolting AI onto that model instead of rethinking it. In this session, Branson Smith will make the case that the winners in AI-driven claims aren’t the ones replacing rules with models, they’re the ones building AI on top of a deterministic, rules-based core that keeps decisions auditable, consistent, and defensible. Attendees will leave with a practical framework for where AI should lead, where rules should still govern, and how to structure a claims architecture that gets the speed of AI without losing the control that regulators, underwriters, and customers require.

Branson Smith

Branson Smith
CRO, PCMI

10:05 AM – 10:50 AM

 
Workshop: Supporting Dealer Clients – What Are You Bringing?
“What are you bringing?” challenges agents to rethink their role in the dealership ecosystem. This workshop explores five ways agents can leverage AI-powered Actionable Insights to transform the F&I process, drive product penetrations and deliver true customer (and dealer!) delight. Attendees will leave with a proven blueprint and the tools they need to remain a vital resource their dealers depend on to maximize profitability.

Ron Reahard

Ron Reahard
President , Reahard & Associates

10:50 AM – 11:20 AM

Networking Break with Exhibitors

11:20 AM – 12:05 PM

AI Learning Session I: Terminology

12:10 PM – 12:55 PM

 
AI Learning Session II: Technology – How AI Affects the Industry
This session provides a general understanding of where technology and AI are at, and how it is being applied through selling tools, analytical tools, and agent workflows. We will explore practical applications that help dealers find applied solutions to everyday operational challenges. Agents will have the goal in mind to not only learn about AI but understand the current state of AI and the potential of AI. The session will cover the requirements to stay ahead of the curve to help a dealership unlock its AI capabilities.

Micah Robinson

Micah Robinson
Founder & CEO, Autto

12:55 PM –1:50 PM

Lunch

1:55 PM – 2:55 PM

 
Afternoon Keynote Address

Cindy Allen

Cindy Allen
Chief Executive Officer, StoneEagle

BreAnna McCready

BreAnna McCready
Senior Vice President of Sales, StoneEagle

3:00 PM – 3:45 PM

 
Panel Discussion: Integrating AI in the Dealership – The AI Playbook for Dealer Agents

AI is reshaping every aspect of auto retail and finance, generating real-time, highly actionable insights and unprecedented responsiveness and efficiency. As an innovative and forward-thinking agent, you are uniquely positioned to help dealers evaluate, adopt and implement solutions, all while improving training, agency operations and client support. Join F&I educator and AI thought leader Peter Chafetz and his panel of experts to get a clear understanding of the dealer agent’s evolving role — and the questions every agent should be asking as AI transforms the future of our business.

Peter Chafetz

Peter Chafetz (Moderator)
National Training Manager, Allstate Dealer Services

Nick Perdikis

Nick Perdikis (Panelist)
CEO, InRide

Jeff Stafford

Jeff Stafford (Panelist)
Senior Vice President of Sales – Dealer Solutions, JD Power

Tony Wanderon

Tony Wanderon (Panelist)
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, APCO Holdings

3:45 PM – 4:15 PM

Networking Break with Exhibitors

4:15 PM – 5:00 PM

 
AI Learning Session III: AI and F&I – You Can’t Be in Every Finance Office, But AI Can: The Agent’s Playbook for Higher PVR and Infinite Capacity

Every agent wants the same thing: more business and more products sold across every dealership in your portfolio. Until now there’s been no good way to scale it. You can only be in so many finance offices at once, and when you do show up, you’re relying on whoever’s in the room to tell you what really happened. AI changes the math, but only if you deploy it right. This session pairs two perspectives that rarely share a stage. Joel Kansanback built one of the nation’s largest F&I agencies and has spent 30 years training dealership pros and advising dealer groups. John Finocchiaro leads AutoTrainer and works across hundreds of dealerships, dozens of agencies, and most of the leading TPAs. Together they answer the question agents are actually asking: what does AI change in the finance office, and how do I use it to grow my book without cloning myself? The through-line: AI is a powerful generalist, but winning agents make it a specialist for F&I. You’ll leave with a practical playbook to drive higher PVR, see what’s really happening in every finance office, and build capacity across your entire book of business.

John Finocchiaro

John Finocchiaro
CEO, AutoTrainer

Joel Kansanback

Joel Kansanback
CEO, Strategic Dealer Advisory

5:00 PM – 5:15 PM

 

AI Innovator Awards
The conference will recognize the leaders and innovations driving meaningful change through artificial intelligence.

5:15 PM – 7:00 PM

Evening Reception with Exhibitors

Friday, September 11, 2026

8:00 AM – 8:45 AM

Breakfast

8:50 AM – 9:50 AM

 
Morning Keynote Address:
LLMs Are Cool – But Is That It? The Data Advantage Changing Automotive Retail

Every technological leap in business history has been met with the same response: resistance, then reluctant adoption, then wonder at what took so long. AI in automotive retail is no different — except this time, the technology underneath the surface is more powerful than most people realize. In this keynote, Doug Betts, President of JD Power Dealer Solutions, goes beyond the chatbot conversation to explore what advanced AI — specifically Temporal Fusion Transformers — actually does for the F&I process, and why the data behind the model matters as much as the model itself. Drawing on JD Power’s unmatched depth of automotive, consumer, and financing data, Doug makes the case that the dealers and agents who learn to work with this generation of AI won’t just keep pace — they’ll operate at a level their competitors simply can’t match. No hype. No fear. Just a clear look at what’s real, what’s coming, and how to use it.

Doug Betts

Doug Betts
President, Dealer Solutions, JD Power

9:55 AM – 10:40 AM

 
AI Learning Session IV: Compliance

James Ganther

James Ganther
Co-Founder and CEO, Mosaic Compliance Services

10:40 AM – 11:10 AM

Networking Break with Exhibitors

11:10 AM – 11:55 AM

 

ACE AI Certification Review

 

11:55 AM – 12:00 PM

 
Farewell Address: Where the Rubber Meets the Road

Tariq Kamal

Tariq Kamal
President and Publisher , ACE B2B

1:00 PM – 3:00 PM

ACE AI Certification (In-person or online)

2026 Sponsors

Thank you to the companies and organizations supporting the AI Dealer Agent Conference

Lead Sponsors

Business Sponsors

General Sponsors

Media Partners