GREASE MONKEY® - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Director of Franchise Development
Alfonso Vilches joined FullSpeed Automotive in June 2024 as Director of Franchise Development. Alfonso has 20 years of experience in franchising.
He has been involved in helping many companies grow their brands through franchising, including AAMCO, Anywhere Real Estate, and The UPS Store. In addition to his roles in franchise development, Alfonso was International Operations Manager for the Asia Pacific Region for The UPS Store.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- FullSpeed Automotive As VP of Real Estate and Mergers & Acquisitions
- VP of Real Estate and Mergers & Acquisitions ⟶
Anthony Fedele joined FullSpeed Automotive as VP of Real Estate and Mergers & Acquisitions in September 2024.
Prior to joining FullSpeed Automotive, Fedele held significant leadership positions, including Real Estate Manager for TBC Corporation and Vice President of Real Estate and Mergers & Acquisitions at Summit Wash Holdings. His role in leading high-impact projects, from mergers to integrations, has consistently driven scalability and efficiency across businesses.
With over 20 years of experience in the service industry, Fedele brings a wealth of expertise and a robust track record in operational management, strategic planning, and franchise development.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Director of Company Centers
- VP of Operations - Grease Monkey ⟶
Brian Michel joined FullSpeed Automotive in September 2012 as Director of Company Centers. In 2015, he became a Franchise Support Director with responsibility for more than 50 locations. In 2018, he was promoted to Senior Director of Operations.
Currently, he is VP of Operations - Grease Monkey and oversees all Grease Monkey franchise centers and the FSDs that provide support.
He also directly supports 23 centers in Colorado, Wyoming, and Nebraska. Brian started his quick lube career 37 years ago with a competitor franchise in Colorado.
He quickly worked his way up to store manager and then on to Vice President of Operations, overseeing up to 13 very successful locations.
Job Titles:
- Leader
- Member of the Leadership Team
- FullSpeed Automotive As President
- President of Retail Operations ⟶
Harry Jenkins joined FullSpeed Automotive as President of Retail Operations in July 2024. Harry is a seasoned leader with over 24 years of success in coordinating efficient, large-scale operations within the automotive sector.
Most recently, Harry served as the Chief Operating Officer at ModWash in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where he oversaw all functions related to sales, operations, and human resources. His strategic initiatives led to continual year-over-year profit growth, high employee retention rates, and the successful opening of 73 new locations.
Harry's impressive career includes a significant tenure at TBC Corporation out of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, where he held various leadership roles, culminating in his position as Vice President of Retail Field Operations. He managed over 700 retail locations under the Tire Kingdom and NTB brands and was responsible for over 7,000 team members, transforming the company from a $19M annual loss to a $30M EBITDA gain. He also set company records for Customer Experience ratings over eight consecutive years.
Harry began his career at Genuine Parts Company/NAPA Auto Parts, managing sales operations and client relations for over 100 independent stores. His outstanding performance continued at Bridgestone, where he held various management roles and was recognized with multiple awards for his leadership and sales excellence.
Harry holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Southeastern Louisiana University and has been honored with numerous awards throughout his career, including TBC Corporation's President's Club Award and Bridgestone's SC Zone District of the Year.
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer
- Member of the Leadership Team
Jim Boswell joined FullSpeed Automotive in October 2021 as Vice President of Finance and was promoted to Chief Financial Officer effective September 2023. Jim has been instrumental in building a high-quality finance team tailored to support the fast-paced demands of our company.
In his role, he built out our highly impactful FP&A (Financial Planning and Analysis) team and launched our Business Intelligence function. In December 2022, when named Interim CFO, Jim continued to elevate the finance and accounting function, ensuring alignment with the broader strategic goals of FullSpeed.
Prior to joining FullSpeed, Jim held the position of CFO for Streamline Brands for two years, doubling the company's EBITDA, professionalizing the accounting department, and installing an ERP system during that time.
He also had a successful stint at Marco's Pizza for seven years, building a finance and business intelligence function, helping the company to profitably grow from 250 to 950 units in a primarily franchised system.
Prior to those roles, Jim held a series of finance positions at Darden Restaurants over four years, concluding with a role in Corporate Planning and Analysis. During his tenure in multi-unit hospitality and retail services, Jim advanced quickly while obtaining a broad grasp of finance, and deep industry and business function experience.
Job Titles:
- Founder of the Original Boardwalk Cafe
- Senior Director of Real Estate
Joe Stephens is the Senior Director of Real Estate. Before joining FullSpeed Automotive, he was the Director of Real Estate for MOD Pizza, where he oversaw development in Minneapolis and the Mid-Atlantic territories.
From 2008 to 2021, Joe served as the Director of Franchise Development before being promoted to Senior Director of Real Estate for the entire country.
Joe is the founder of The Original Boardwalk Cafe and also served on the Development Team for Mancino's Pizza & Grinders. Joe is a veteran who spent three years aboard the aircraft carrier USS Ranger.
Job Titles:
- Manager
- Manager of New Center Development ⟶
Julius Villarreal has been our Manager of New Center Development since February 2021.
Julius is an Army veteran, who, upon exiting the military, spent six years as the purchasing manager supporting the T45 fighter pilot training program with Boeing.
He then joined the quick lube and car wash industry, where he spent 17 years helping build a successful brand.
Kacey Reed joined FullSpeed Automotive in January 2024 as Director of Real Estate.
Prior to FullSpeed, he spent 22 months with Circle K as a Real Estate Manager, where he led store development initiatives in the St. Louis and Indianapolis regions.
Kacey is a 34-year Veteran and currently serves as a part-time Army Reservist in Nashville, Tennessee. He has deployed multiple times to Iraq and Afghanistan and served in numerous leadership assignments such as detachment and company command and staff officer positions.
Job Titles:
- Senior Director of Franchise Development
Kelly Tope joined FullSpeed Automotive in January 2024 as Senior Director of Franchise Development.
Job Titles:
- General Counsel
- Member of the Leadership Team
- FullSpeed Automotive As General Counsel
Kelvin Sellers joined FullSpeed Automotive as General Counsel in August 2023. Kelvin comes to us with nearly 15 years of experience in the automotive and aftermarket space, having been a trusted professional with law firm, public accounting, and in-house counsel experience.
Most recently, he served as Vice President and General Counsel for Interstate Batteries Inc., where he led long-term legal strategy while spotlighting and advising on critical business and legal issues.
Kelvin received his B.B.A in Accounting and his M.S. in Taxation from the University of Texas at Arlington. He is a certified public accountant and practiced as such for several years before matriculating at Columbia Law School. After receiving his Juris Doctor, Kelvin practiced commercial litigation at Bickel & Brewer, a litigation boutique, and as a tax attorney at Jones Day, both in Dallas.
Kelvin is a member of several professional organizations including the Texas General Counsel Forum where he has served as Board Chair. He is trustee on the board of the Dallas Theater Center, and an advisory board member for the Dallas chapter of the National Basketball Retired Players Association. He is also a member of the Salesmanship Club of Dallas.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- FullSpeed Automotive As SVP, Store Operations
- SVP, Store Operations ⟶
Laura Sasser joined FullSpeed Automotive as SVP, Store Operations, in September 2023. Laura is an accomplished professional with an extensive background in restaurant management, retail operations, and team building.
Laura comes to FullSpeed after spending the past 18 years at Channel Control Merchants (CCM) honing her skills in various operations roles, including asset protection, inventory management, store operations, and training and development. She contributed significantly to CCM's growth and was instrumental in their success, serving in several key senior leadership roles including SVP Store Operations (head of store), SVP Planning & Allocation, and VP/Director of Store Operations.
Throughout her career, Laura has been instrumental in optimizing store operations, streamlining processes, and implementing best practices to enhance productivity and profitability. Her eye for detail and ability to identify areas for improvement have resulted in significant cost savings and increased efficiency within the organizations she has worked with.
Job Titles:
- Construction Manager
- FullSpeed Automotive As Merger and Acquisitions Manager
Mike Witz joined FullSpeed Automotive as Merger and Acquisitions Manager in 2021. With over 45 years of extensive automotive experience, Mike has excelled in various roles within the company, most recently serving as the Equipment Facilities Manager for Retail Operations. In September 2024, he rejoined the construction team as Construction Manager.
Before his tenure at FullSpeed Automotive, Mike was the Co-branding Manager for Midas International. He played a pivotal role in integrating the SpeeDee Oil process into Midas stores and vice versa, demonstrating his strategic thinking and problem-solving skills.
His journey with Midas began in 2002 as a Service Writer, and he steadily advanced to become a District Manager in San Diego. He furthered his career with Midas by taking on several operational roles that required him to visit franchise and company-owned stores across all 50 states and Canada.
Mike's automotive career began in South Africa, where he emigrated from in 2001. There, he owned multiple tire franchises, a workshop specializing in German and Italian vehicles, a gas station, and a car wash. He holds a Master Technician status from the South African government and is certified as a Master Technician for GM and Alfa Romeo.
Mike continues to update his training, focusing on electrical CANBUS systems, electronic ignition, and fuel injection diagnostics, and holds a Master Technician Certification from SpeeDee.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- VP, Procurement & Inventory Control ⟶
Rick Juarez, VP, Procurement & Inventory Control, joined FullSpeed Automotive in 2005 as the Franchise Support Manager. In 2006, Rick became a Regional Director and Director of Purchasing, and was promoted to Senior Director of New Center Development & Procurement in 2020.
Rick is an Army Veteran, who, upon exiting the military, spent 13 years on the franchisee side of Grease Monkey. Rick and his team ran one of the first million-dollar locations for Grease Monkey.
During Rick's time at FullSpeed Automotive, he has helped open over 150 locations for Grease Monkey and SpeeDee in the U.S.; Mexico; and Colombia, South America.
Rick works closely with all of our national vendors to help provide competitive programs for FullSpeed Automotive.
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- Member of the Leadership Team
Rob Lynch was appointed Chief Executive Officer in July 2022.
Rob is an accomplished executive with over 30 years of experience spanning leadership positions with Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Accenture Retail Strategy Consulting, Orchard Supply, Lumber Liquidators, and Channel Control Merchants.
He most recently served as the President/CEO and Director at KKR-Backed Channel Control Merchants, where he led significant growth in profitability across the company's expansive operations.
Previously, Rob was President/CEO of Lumber Liquidators, where he transformed the business into a high-growth and higher-performance retailer. Furthermore, Rob served on the Board of Directors for Dorman Products, Inc., a leading automotive aftermarket parts manufacturer.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- President
Ron Stilwell, President, has been on our leadership team since July 2021. Prior to FullSpeed, Ron was the Chief Development Officer at Marco's Pizza where he served on the executive team since 2018.
In 2008, he founded and was President of Franchise Executive Consultants, a national consulting firm which helped franchisors with their development needs. During his tenure at Franchise Executive Consultants, Ron became the President of Fun Brands /Bounce U, Inc. in Tempe, Arizona (2016). Fun Brands owned children's entertainment centers across America.
Ron also held leadership positions in other brands such as Taco Bell Corp, TGI Fridays and Peter Piper Pizza.
Job Titles:
- Senior Director
- Senior Director of Construction & Design
Sami Hage has been our Senior Director of Construction & Design since September 2021. Mr. Hage has over 25 years of experience in both construction and design.
Job Titles:
- Chief Marketing Officer
- Member of the Leadership Team
Stacey Pool joined FullSpeed Automotive in May 2024, bringing over two decades of experience in consumer marketing. Prior to joining FullSpeed, she served as the Chief Marketing Officer for Noodles & Company.
Throughout her time at Noodles, Stacey led several of the brand's most successful initiatives, such as introducing the new brand positioning of 'Uncommon Goodness' as well as revitalizing the company's rewards and loyalty program. Leveraging her proven ability in translating guest insights into tangible business outcomes, she reshaped Noodles' marketing into a more data-driven, guest-centric organization.
Prior to joining Noodles & Company, Stacey held a variety of leadership positions at Vail Resorts, including Senior Vice President of Season Pass Marketing, Chief of Staff to the CEO, and Vice President of Digital. During her time at Vail Resorts, she was responsible for Epic Pass brand marketing and the game-changing application, EpicMix.
Before Vail Resorts, she contributed to Nike by shaping the vision and strategy for the digital experience platform, NIKEiD.com, and she also held a consulting role at Accenture. Stacey's diverse background is further enriched by her dedication to fostering high-performing, adaptable, and innovative teams.
Job Titles:
- Franchise Development Support Manager
Susanne Chastain has been our Franchise Development Support Manager since August 2021. Before joining FullSpeed Automotive, Susanne served as Office Manager/Marketing Manager at OptimumG, an international vehicle dynamics consultant group.
From 2004 to 2013, Susanne served as the Marketing Communications Manager at Medical Simulation Corp.
Prior to that, Susanne served as the Program Coordinator, Education and Public Outreach at McREL, where she coordinated marketing and outreach programs with companies such as NASA, PBS, and Disney.
Tyson Daniels, who owns four locations in Idaho, says that franchisee support is excellent: "I feel like my regional support director is a partner in my business." One huge benefit has been the training available to employees, both in-person and through online courses. Management training courses, in particular, have helped Daniels elevate the skills and effectiveness of several key employees.