Car talk: M&A, AI and EVs changing the dealership landscape

Oct 2, 2025

Jimmy Robinson, CPA, CGMA, the national chair of the AICPA Dealership Conference, and his co-presenter and co-worker Jesse Stopnitzky joined the JofA podcast to preview discussion points of their conference session later this month.

Their expertise is industry-specific, but some of the topics are applicable to a broader audience. Robinson, a former dealership CFO, shared the key traits of strong finance leadership, and Stopnitzky offered advice for better succession planning.

What you’ll learn from this episode:

• The aspect of M&A deals that is, to Stopnitzky, more art than science.
• How merger activity has changed since the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Robinson’s list of the key traits of strong finance leaders.
• Why succession planning involves far more than naming a successor.
• Disruptive events and key shifts in the automotive industry.