Annual Meeting Featured Speakers

You won’t want to miss your opportunity to learn valuable intel from event speakers and ask them specific questions about their field of expertise. Here are the featured Annual Meeting speakers for 2025: 

Renaldas Budrys

Vice President, Lender Compliance Solutions, PCMI

Renaldas Budrys is a seasoned technology executive and innovative problem solver with over 20 years of experience delivering enterprise software solutions across the automotive finance and F&I ecosystems. At PCMI, he leads the TruComply platform, a purpose-built solution designed to streamline cancellation and refund processes while helping lenders stay ahead of evolving regulatory expectations.

Renaldas is known for his entrepreneurial mindset and passion for solving complex business challenges through automation and AI-first software design. His work focuses on transforming manual, fragmented processes into scalable digital workflows—enabling better compliance, operational efficiency, and collaboration among lenders, providers, and dealers.

A frequent contributor to industry strategy and product innovation, Renaldas brings a pragmatic and forward-thinking perspective to building technology that creates measurable value.

Chris Capurso
Troutman Pepper Locke

Chris’ practice focuses on consumer financial services law, primarily on federal and state law compliance matters. Chris regularly advises financial institutions, lenders, and sales finance companies in the development and maintenance of closed-end and open-end lending, automobile finance, fintech, point-of-sale, solar finance, small dollar, and other credit programs. Chris also provides compliance advice on consumer reporting, tenant screening and background screening under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and state law. He regularly provides guidance on federal consumer protection laws and regulations in addition to the FCRA, including the Truth in Lending Act (TILA), the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA), the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), and the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (E-SIGN). Chris also regularly counsels clients on compliance with state licensing and other substantive laws and regulations. Chris is the co-host of Moving the Metal: The Auto Finance Podcast where they discuss all things related to the auto finance industry.

Chris earned both his J.D. and M.B.A. from the College of William & Mary, where he served as senior articles editor for the William & Mary Business Law Review. Chris regularly uses his M.B.A. experience in giving clients practical compliance advice that can be implemented into the development or maintenance of consumer finance services programs.

Robert Christini 
Senior Director, Lender Solution Sales, Dealertrack, Cox Automotive 

Robert Christini is Senior Director Lender Solutions at Cox Automotive and celebrates 19 years with the Lender Solutions team. His knowledge and experience in the financial and automotive industries are substantial, and his expertise in the full F&I workflow between lenders and dealers – and the subsequent needs for lenders – has made him a trusted ally to Dealertrack’s 7,000+ lender partners.

Rachel Friederich

GAP Alliance/Motor Vehicle Protection Products Association/Service Contract Industry Council

Rachel Friederich serves as the Business Manager for the Service Contract Industry Council, Guaranteed Asset Protection Alliance, and the Motor Vehicle Protection Products Association. In her role, Rachel is responsible for ensuring the trades' initiatives whether an advocacy project, the annual meeting, or organizational matter are carried forward effectively and according to schedule. To that end, she is also accountable for effective and efficient execution with state lobbyists. Rachel monitors legislative, regulatory and legal activity at both the state and federal levels, helps draft the Weekly Update, handles all member communications, and assists in shaping marketing communications deliverables.

Prior to her role as Business Manager, Rachel served as the Trades’ Paralegal for almost two years. Before that, she spent time as a Litigation Paralegal for a St. Louis law firm and also interned for the Missouri State Senate.

Rachel holds a BA in Political Science and International Relations, a BS in Justice Systems, an Associate degree in Paralegal Studies, and a MA in Public Administration and Policy Analysis. She resides in Collinsville, IL, home of the world’s largest ketchup bottle, which is approximately ten minutes outside of St. Louis, MO.

Bill Gunnison
GAP Alliance/Motor Vehicle Protection Products Association/Service Contract Industry Council

Bill Gunnison serves as the Legislative and Regulatory Counsel for the Guaranteed Asset Protection Alliance, Motor Vehicle Protection Products Association, and the Service Contract Industry Council.

In this role, Bill develops compliance resources for members to help them navigate the complex legal and regulatory landscape that applies to protection products. He also monitors pertinent state and federal legislative and regulatory activity, helps prepare the legislative and regulatory updates that are distributed to members on a weekly basis, and works closely with the lobbyists pursuing trade initiatives.

Bill has extensive experience advising on legal and regulatory compliance matters in highly regulated industries. Before joining the three trade associations, Bill spent eight years specializing in legal and regulatory compliance within the cannabis industry. He worked with startups dedicated to providing legal and regulatory compliance support to cannabis operators before serving as General Counsel for a cannabis-infused products company.

Bill holds a journalism degree and a Juris Doctor degree and has been a member of the Colorado Bar since 2015. He lives in Arvada, Colorado with his wife and three sons.

Tom Keepers

GAP Alliance/Motor Vehicle Protection Products Association/Service Contract Industry Council

Tom is accountable for the services delivered to the trade association members, to include effectively advocating and monitoring legislation, regulation, and litigation at the federal and state levels. The trade associations advance their members’ agenda by assuring viable markets for the products that balance the interests of providers and consumers alike.

Prior to this role, Tom successfully led the Consumer Credit Industry Association and spent more than two decades in industry leading almost every facet of the member product suite.

Tom holds a BA in Mathematics, an MBA, and earned the PMP, CLU and Series 7 designations. He and his wife Bridget reside in Middleton, Wisconsin with his two grown daughters living in the area.

Aleem Lakhani
CEO, Vectorsolv Corp

As the CEO of VectorSolv Corp., I lead a team of experts in artificial intelligence and computational science who are dedicated to identifying and amplifying insights that creatively disrupt the management of warranties and extended warranties. With over 19 years of experience in the specialty risk division of AmTrust North America, I have developed a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities in the warranty industry, especially in emerging markets such as connected home, health, and auto, fintech, insuretech, and others undergoing digital transformation.

My mission is to leverage big data, predictive and prescriptive analytics, and the Internet of Things to enhance customer engagement, use-based insurance and service contract models, and operational efficiencies. I also aim to actively contribute to the growth of the warranty industry through thought leadership, best practices, quantitative strategies, and innovation. With a master's degree in law focused on technology law, and a background in behavioral economics and business, I bring a unique perspective and skill set to the field of warranty management.

John Luckett

Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing, CalTex

John Luckett joined CalTex in June 2020 as the Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing, where he continues to drive the expansion of the company’s Agency, OEM, TPA, and Direct-to-Dealer business. With over 40 years of experience in the automotive industry, John began his career at his family’s Ford Lincoln Mercury dealership before taking on key roles at CarMax. He later served nearly 20 years as Vice President and Senior Vice President at The Warranty Group, managing distribution channels including Resource Agent Group, First Extended, and Resource Dealer Group. Before joining CalTex, John ran his own agency and held the position of Managing Director at Portfolio.

A recognized leader in F&I agency relationship management, John has served on multiple industry advisory boards and is a sought-after speaker at automotive industry events and conferences. His extensive expertise continues to fuel CalTex’s growth and influence in the industry.

John resides in the Dallas-Fort Worth area with his wife and is a proud parent of four children.

Andy Mayers

AVP Business Operations for Dealer/Lender Solutions Group, Cox Automotive 

Andy Mayers is the AVP Business Operations for Dealer/Lender Solutions group  at Cox Automotive. In his current role, Andy is responsible for the Dealertrack  Lender network, including lending and API strategies for all origination channels, thought leadership and solutions architecture for our lender partners.  he works with various Cox Automotive business units to identify product opportunities that will deliver enhanced value for lending partners, while providing the voice of the lender when new innovations are delivered to Cox Automotive.  During his 20+ year tenure at Dealertrack, a Cox Automotive company, Andy has overseen the product management team at Dealertrack, product managed eContracting, developed Dealertrack’s overall integration strategy, and managed the business analysts and UX teams. Prior to joining Dealertrack in 2003, Andy led business strategy at Credit Management Solutions Inc. Andy has over 30 years of experience in providing software to dealers and financial institutions. 

Chris McCannell

GrayRobinson

Chris McCannell brings more than 20 years of Washington experience and insight to the clients of GrayRobinson. His clients include Angel Capital Association, Prudential Plc., Center for American Entrepreneurship, National Association of Truck Stop Operators, Manufactured Housing Institute, 98Point6, US Travel, Etihad Airlines, and Broadmark Capital. Chris is known for his high-level engagement with House Democratic leadership on behalf of his clients.

Prior to joining GrayRobinson, Chris led APCO Worldwide’s Washington financial services and government relations practice. He previously served as vice president of government affairs at Ameriprise Financial and as a director at Quinn Gillespie and Associates, a bipartisan government relations firm in Washington, D.C.

Before joining Ameriprise Financial, Chris was chief of staff to Rep. Michael E. McMahon. Earlier in his career, he served as chief of staff and floor assistant to Rep. Joseph Crowley, a member of the Committee on Ways and Means and chair of the Democratic caucus. Chris was also press secretary to Rep. Steny H. Hoyer. He began his career as a press assistant in the office of Sen. Frank Lautenberg and the office of the Democratic Policy Committee.

Sarah Mercer
Brownstein

Sarah Mercer ensures clients overcome challenging and entrenched legal issues by guiding clients through the complex political landscape. She combines her litigation background with her experience navigating state and local government to develop creative political and administrative solutions for complicated legal issues. In short, Sarah helps her clients efficiently achieve their goals. She’s a connector drawing on her close ties with elected officials and bureaucratic staff at all levels of local and state government to form connections and bridge relationships among diverse stakeholders.

No stranger to high-profile policy matters, Sarah is at the forefront of some of the hottest regional and national issues—the Paycheck Protection Program, campaign finance, ballot initiatives, gaming and sports betting to name a few. Whether advising on navigating the regulatory environment of sports betting or representing a client in a lawsuit challenging a governor’s executive order, Sarah brings passion, grit and ingenuity. She gets results in situations where others have failed due to her ability to find fresh solutions and align conflicting stakeholders.

Sarah’s determination and passion extends beyond her client work. She is a steadfast community volunteer serving as a board member for the National Sports Center for the Disabled and the Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce. She also has a roster of pro bono lobbying clients helping Denver’s underserved communities.

Maneesha Mithal
WIlson Sonsini

Maneesha Mithal is a partner in the Washington, D.C., office of Wilson Sonsini and co-chair of the firm’s privacy and cybersecurity practice. Maneesha advises clients on privacy, cybersecurity, and consumer protection matters and represents companies in regulatory investigations. She is also one of the founding members of Wilson Sonsini’s AI group.

Maneesha is an internationally recognized expert on privacy and data security, having led the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC’s) Division of Privacy and Identity Protection prior to joining the firm. In this capacity, Maneesha oversaw a team of 40 lawyers responsible for the enforcement of privacy and security laws and the development of policy positions in areas such as artificial intelligence, facial recognition, biometrics, and connected cars, as well as health privacy, children’s privacy, ransomware, and the intersection of privacy and competition. She was also responsible for enforcing the Fair Credit Reporting and Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act Safeguards Rule. She led the negotiation of numerous privacy and data security settlements and managed the first litigated FTC decisions on cybersecurity issues. Maneesha also worked with congressional staff on federal privacy legislation, with state attorney general offices on joint investigations, and with other federal and international agencies on a variety of initiatives.

Named to the 2024 “Incident Response 50” list by Cybersecurity Docket and recognized in the 2024 edition of Chambers USA for her privacy work, sources remark Maneesha “cuts to the heart of complex questions quickly” and “offers highly practical and thoughtful advice.”

Earlier in her career, as a manager with the FTC’s International Consumer Protection Division, Maneesha worked on European privacy issues and served as a U.S. delegate to the privacy committees of the OECD and APEC.

Maneesha previously served as Chief of Staff and Senior Counsel in the Bureau of Consumer Protection (BCP), where she reviewed advertising cases and financial consumer protection matters, and held various positions in BCP’s International Division, including as Acting Associate Director. She began her legal career as a litigator at Covington & Burling. Maneesha is a frequent speaker at industry events, including IAPP- and ABA-led panels.

Travis Moore

GAP Alliance/Motor Vehicle Protection Products Association/Service Contract Industry Council

Mr. Travis Moore serves as General Counsel for the Guaranteed Asset Protection Alliance, Motor Vehicle Protection Products Association, and the Service Contract Industry Council.

Prior to his new role, Travis served as the Senior Legislative and Regulatory Counsel for the National Home Service Contract Association (NHSCA). In this capacity, he was responsible for monitoring, analyzing, and identifying and executing actions where necessary regarding legislative and regulatory changes relevant to Home Service Contract law in all 50 states.

Travis has an appreciation for the overlap and intricacies between home and vehicle service contracts, having drafted and offered testimony, and developed and maintained legal compliance resources for members, while supporting association management.

He has an entrepreneurial spirit, having co-founded Torn Label Brewing Company and serving as its Brewmaster. Travis resides in Kansas City, Missouri with his wife and 2 children.

Travis can be reached at [email protected], and on his cell at 913-634-8001.

Brad Rogers

EVP, LCT

Brad Rogers is EVP of LCT and brings 30 years of experience developing automotive software solutions to the team. Prior to LCT, he served as CEO of Motility Software Solutions, the leading provider of dealer management software for the specialty vehicle industry, providing end-to-end solutions for RV, bus and heavy-duty truck dealers. Rogers was also Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of RouteOne, leading the company from startup to industry leader with relationships with more than 1,800 banks, credit unions and captive finance companies, as well as more than 14,000 dealers across the United States and Canada. 

 

Kat Venner-Fowler