The Corp
Our Founder:
Kevin’s passion for automotive started with ownership of a series of successful dealerships, including his first General Motors dealership in Northern British Columbia. Kevin learned the importance of being community-focused to enable his dealership’s success in small communities.
Kevin’s sharp business acumen means he recognizes the impact each detail has on a business’ success. From a small line item sale or a simple repair to multiple vehicle purchases, each component plays a vital role in the larger picture. Kevin empowers every department to make immediate, thoughtful improvements through meticulous daily analysis of each of these customer touch-points. His quick and detailed response is the cornerstone to operating the business, and the reason customers continued to return. As a result, Kevin’s General Motors store in Dawson Creek earned a place as the number one dealer, in the number one Dealership Performance 20 Group in North America, with Performance Incorporated.
Kevin is a successful entrepreneur – with expertise in investment banking, oil and gas, and property development. To this day, he is committed to the same approach he perfected in Dawson Creek – to be community-focused; and, through daily analysis and returned sales processes, deliver best-in-class customer experiences.
Kevin is extremely active in the western Canadian business community; and, brings a wealth of significant regional and local relationships to this opportunity.
Meet the Team
Derek Slemko
Chief Financial Officer
As CFO for the company, Derek brings an impressive track record offering 18-years experience in various finance and executive level roles. He is a capable decision maker with management experience; practical technical knowledge; and, skills across all functions of finance, valuations and accounting.
He has a proven track record of executing multiple public and private equity and debt financing transactions. Derek has sourced, negotiated, structured and executed multiple acquisitions and mergers, ranging in size from $4 million to nearly $400 million. He has managed operations, overseeing 58 employees and over 50 investment funds, as COO of a publicly traded investment fund manager. Derek also has experience operating within multiple regulatory frameworks such as the TSX, the OSC, IIROC and CRA.
Mike McMeeken
Vice President Finance
As Vice President Finance for Foundation Automotive Corp., Mike’s roles involve sourcing, analyzing, evaluating, and negotiating dealership acquisitions, along with improving operations of owned dealerships through the use of data analytics.
Prior to being a founding member of Foundation Auto, Mike spent five years in an equity analyst role covering Small Cap and Junior Oil & Gas industries, for a boutique investment bank in Calgary. This role provided Mike a wealth of experience and knowledge in business valuation and analytics, and is the cornerstone for principals used in seeking out and acquiring profitable dealerships with measurable upside opportunities.
Samantha Wright
Analyst
With a passion for numbers that grew from earning her BBA in Financial Analysis at Mount Royal University, Samantha is an Analyst at Foundation Automotive; and, is currently pursuing her designation as a CFA Level II candidate.
Jenna Larson
Senior Analyst
As Senior Analyst, Jenna offers 15-years experience in various purchasing and analytical roles within both large and small retail organizations. Before joining Foundation Automotive Corp., Jenna held the Director of Purchasing role at a start-up e-commerce company. She has been responsible for the strategic direction of brand development and acquisition strategy for the e-commerce platform Live Out
There. As a critical member of their leadership team, Live Out There was named one of Alberta’s 50 fastest growing companies 2-years running. Jenna has a proven track record of building and maintaining strong partnerships with premier global brands; and, specializes in shaping a vision and making it a reality through sound strategy development.