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AkzoNobel announced Michelle Sullivan has been appointed sales director for its Vehicle Refinish (VR) US-East Region, effective Aug. 1.

Sullivan reports directly to John Griffin, regional commercial director, AkzoNobel Automotive & Specialty Coatings, Americas, and president, AkzoNobel, Inc.

In her new role, Sullivan is responsible for leading sales efforts across all VR segments in the East region and is part of the AkzoNobel Automotive & Specialty Coatings Americas management team. Sullivan was previously the strategic sales leader for AkzoNobel’s VR business in North America.

Sullivan has been with AkzoNobel for five years and has decades of collision repair industry experience focused on leading sales and operational teams. She has been active in numerous collision repair organizations.

Source: AkzoNobel CCC Intelligent Solutions Inc., a leading SaaS platform digitizing the multi-trillion-dollar P&C insurance economy, announced the release of its 2021 Crash Course Midyear Report.

This edition of Crash Course examines how permanent changes to consumer expectations and the desire for personalized experiences continue to accelerate the deployment of AI, IoT and mobile technology in the auto claim and repair process. The report also explores changing driving behavior and features research on consumer attitudes towards Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) technology in newer vehicles.

“All signs suggest that the accelerated adoption of digitization and AI occurring during the pandemic will not only remain in place, but is picking up speed,” said Susanna Gotsch, senior director, lead analyst, CCC and Crash Course author. “Consumer expectations have been raised again and curated experiences—those where needs and information are anticipated even before requested—is becoming the new normal.”

Data in Crash Course suggests a shift back to personal vehicle ownership and away from a trend towards shared mobility over recent years with more than 35% of new vehicles sold between March 2020 and March 2021 purchased by firsttime vehicle buyers—a trend that also points to an increase in firsttime auto insurance customers.

Crash Course also reports that when accidents occur, the percent of appraisals generated via photo estimating and advanced AI continues to grow, continuing its rise since the start of the pandemic. The report also looks at miles driven, road congestion, claims frequency and repair costs.

Original research from CCC on ADAS technology is also included in the report and reveals consumers have a positive, if complicated relationship with the technology. The research found more than 84% of drivers believe ADAS features promote safe driving. Despite this belief, more than 54% of those who own a vehicle with ADAS believe that certain features can increase the chance of an accident and 70% have actually turned ADAS features off.

“While our research found drivers are becoming increasingly familiar with ADAS features, there is work for the industry to do to educate consumers on the potential benefits of ADAS,” added Gotsch. “The research provides important insights on consumer desires and actions adding complexity to the rapidly evolving insurance and automotive ecosystems.”

The 2021 Crash Course Midyear Report draws from various sources, including data processed by CCC on behalf of customers, which includes 30,000 companies spanning auto manufacturers, insurers, repair facilities, parts suppliers and auto lenders interacting with CCC’s platform.

Download the 2021 Crash Course Midyear Report for free atwww.cccis.com/crash-course-2021.

Source: CCC

Continued from Cover

‘Who Pays for What?’

are at least getting paid for it “some of the time.”

“I’d like to see those numbers improve, but I’m also hoping the surveys raise shops’ awareness of the safety inspections they need to be doing,” Anderson said.

The latest quarterly “Who Pays for What?” survey, slated to end July 30, focuses on “not-included” frame and mechanical labor operations.

Shops can take the survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ L3H3JQP

Anderson said the survey, which will take about 15-20 minutes, can be completed by anyone in a shop familiar with the shop’s billing practices and the payment practices of at least some of the largest national insurers.

Each shop’s individual responses are held in the strictest confidence; only aggregated data is released.

Survey participants receive a free report with complete survey findings along with analysis and resources to help shops better understand and use the information presented.

The results of previous surveys are also available online at https:// www.crashnetwork.com/collision advice

Source: CRASH Network

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