CIBC Auto Finance’s big move to third from sixth place in J.D. Power’s 2025 Canada Dealer Financing Satisfaction Study, released May 6, did not happen by accident.Invaluable feedback from dealers coupled with the bank’s drive for continuous improvement vaulted CIBC Auto Finance past entrenched competitors within the non-captive prime-lending category, despite it being a relative newcomer to the market.

As the automotive industry rethinks retail operations, Bill Berman, CEO of Pinewood Technologies Group, shares why integrated AI—built directly into Pinewood’s cloud-native platform—is set to reshape dealership efficiency and the customer experience. In this episode of In the Driver’s Seat, Berman outlines why intuitive technology, data transparency, and scalability are the new cornerstones of digital retailing.

The automotive industry still lags behind other sectors in using customer data to enhance experiences, despite recognizing its value. Challenges stem not from unwillingness but from outdated, disconnected technology systems that prevent a unified customer view. Automotive retailers struggle to link sales, service and customer history. In this article, Pinewood.AI’s Global Chief Marketing Officer, Kim Costello, discusses how enabling better data connection across dealerships and OEMs can unlock greater customer value.