February 11, 2026 Newsletter
Big Opportunities Ahead: Xchange Groups Start Next Week & Spring Club Study Announced
Service and warranty leaders are navigating higher stakes across recalls, diagnostics, parts returns, and financial risk—with less room for trial and error. MAPconnected creates focused, executive-level forums and interactive engagement tools where real operational challenges are discussed openly and constructively.
This week’s highlights:
- Last chance to join upcoming Leadership Xchange Group Peer Meetups
- Spring Club Study dates and host announced
- A look back at the value of membership in our Year in Review video
Last Call: Xchange Groups Begin February 19
Xchange Groups are designed for senior leaders who want to compare approaches, test assumptions, and learn how peers are addressing similar constraints across service and warranty operations.
Xchange Group themes cover:
- Recalls, Customer Campaigns & Legal
- Parts Return & Quality Analysis
- Purchasing & Supplier Cost Sharing
- Warranty Administration
- Financial Products & Insurance
- TAC Technical Assistance Centers
As member needs have evolved, we’ve expanded our facilitator lineup with experienced industry leaders to guide deeper, more structured discussions.
Please meet our new round robin facilitators who have been added:
Varun Jain, Of Counsel – K&L Gates
Within the firm’s Public Policy and Law practice, Varun brings senior White House and U.S. Department of Transportation leadership—plus in-house experience at ride-sharing and autonomous vehicle companies—to help organizations navigate complex legal, regulatory, and policy challenges in transportation and emerging technologies, especially autonomous vehicles.
Daryl Kreskowiak, former Manager of Supplier Cost Recovery – Stellantis
Daryl is a seasoned automotive warranty and supplier recovery executive with 20+ years across OEMs and suppliers, most recently leading Stellantis’ global recovery strategy to deliver a 210% increase in recoveries through deep expertise in warranty governance, complex liability negotiations, and enterprise systems leadership.
Jim Holloway, former General Manager Purchasing – Toyota Motor North America
Jim is a former Toyota Motor North America executive with 33 years of experience across procurement, risk management, and supplier leadership, now founder of J Holloway Consulting, where he brings trusted, practical guidance and deep institutional insight to help organizations improve strategy, operations, and performance.
Jimmy Bynum, President – Garde Solutions
Jimmy is CEO of Garde Solutions and a former Managing Director at Cat Insurance (Caterpillar Inc.), bringing more than a decade of global leadership experience designing scalable, capital-efficient insurance, extended protection, and risk management programs that strengthen OEM and dealer partnerships across North America and Asia Pacific.
Spotlight: TAC Leadership Group — open to new members!
Although launched late last year, the TAC Leadership Exchange remains open to new members. Seven OEMs currently comprise this group, including Bridgestone, Ford, Hyundai, Hyundai Canada, Kia and Toyota Technical Assistance Center executives. Their next meetup is planned for February 26 and will explore build vs. buy TAC software, TAC’s role in dealer diagnostics, scan tool integration, and Prior Approval decision-making.
Big News: Spring Club Study Host – Hosted By Mitsubishi Logisnext
June 17-18 | Our 4th Annual Club Study will be hosted at Mitsubishi Logisnext’s new Customer Experience Center, combining facilitated working sessions with real-world operational exposure.
Program highlights include:
- Facilitated executive working sessions
- Assembly & technical training tours
- Warranty failure analysis
- Hosted networking dinner
- Integrated sessions with the AI-SWLM Think Tank
Key focus areas:
- Improving accuracy and consistency in manual claim assessment
- Strengthening diagnostic quality to prevent downstream issues
- Identifying practical, high-impact AI use cases from repair to claim
40% Off Service & Warranty Lifecycle Tickets — Ends February 17
Don’t miss your chance to join the Service & Warranty Lifecycle Summit, Oct 19-21 in Detroit, at a significant discount. Join industry leaders for three days of working sessions, executive dialogue, and case study discussions focused on real operational challenges.
See the MAPconnected Community in Action
Our Year in Review video captures how members engage throughout the year—across Xchange Groups, Spring Club Study, and the Leadership Summit—to inform strategy, reduce risk, and improve execution.
Why Membership Matters
MAPconnected membership supports year-round engagement and collaboration:
- Xchange Groups: Three virtual facilitated sessions + one in-person working session
- Club Study Access: June immersive program at Mitsubishi Logisnext
- Members Hub & Marketplace: Ongoing discussion, resources, and partner access
- Exclusive Events: AI-SWLM Think Tank and unlimited virtual programs
Pay as you go ($295 per Xchange Group facilitated event) or upgrade to a year-long membership for unlimited participation and free Service & Warranty Lifecycle tickets.
| I’m happy to answer any questions as you consider which membership is the best fit for your organization. Email me at info@mapconnected.com or fill out an online form. |
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