MyWarrantyNetwork CONNECT 26: TAC Metrics, AI Priorities and 25 Early Summit Speakers

25 Early Speakers • TAC Metrics • AI Priorities • A Connected Summit

What changes when leaders stop measuring isolated activity and start connecting decisions across the complete Service & Warranty Lifecycle?

This week’s MyWarrantyNetwork CONNECT brings that question into focus across:

25 early confirmed Summit speakers
6 newly introduced voices
A deeper TAC benchmarking story
The AI OPPORTUNITY MAP
The October program and how it moves from ideas into working discussion

Each story connects to the same objective: helping leaders compare how work is being done, understand where functions affect one another and identify practical opportunities for stronger customer and business outcomes.

25 Early Confirmed Speakers, 20 Formally Introduced

The 6th annual Service & Warranty Lifecycle Summit is bringing together leaders across warranty, quality, technical assistance, purchasing, customer service, policy, data, AI and technology.

This week’s 6 newly introduced speakers are:

Josh Cohen | Global Warranty Strategy Manager | General Motors
Jennifer Jones Wheeler | Former Global Lifetime Warranty Chief | Ford Motor Company
Steve Olejniczak | Associate Director Warranty | International
Marijo Prodanic | Director Warranty Ops & Tech Assistance | Kia America
Jim Holloway | Former General Manager Purchasing | Toyota Motor North America
Mark Abbott | Client Executive | Pegasystems

They join the 14 speakers already introduced:

Daryl Kreskowiak | Director NA Warranty Recovery | Stellantis
Graham Swan | Executive Director Global Warranty | Cummins
James Kiriazes | Director Customer Quality Engineering | Bridgestone
Jordan Tauriainen | Senior Director of Global Automotive Go-To-Market | ServiceNow
Tim Turvey | Former Global Vice President Customer Care & Aftersales | General Motors
Peter Dentler | Warranty Program Manager Lead | Mack Trucks and Volvo Trucks NA
Bryan Tracy | Warranty Manager | Slate Auto
Wayne Mitchell | Global Senior Vice President Business Development | Sedgwick
Ben Bergman | Director of Customer Service | Crown Equipment
Justin Brookman | Director Technology Policy | Consumer Reports
Uma Boddapati | Senior Warranty Manager | Sensata
Arnon Shafir | VP Data Intelligence & AI | Upstream
Jimmy Bynum | CEO | Garde Solutions
Eric Bloink | Warranty Performance Manager Interior and Exterior | General Motors

Together, these voices reflect the cross-functional reality of the Service & Warranty Lifecycle.

TAC Metrics: What Really Matters?

Call volume, response time and cases closed still matter, but they do not fully answer the most important TAC question: Did the recommendation help get the vehicle fixed right?

The third meetup of the MAPconnected Technical Assistance Centers Leadership Xchange Group examined how OEMs are measuring operational efficiency, digital case management, touchpoints to resolution, escalation, case completeness, true-fix effectiveness and wider business impact.

The group is working toward a common TAC Benchmarking Core: a focused set of measures with definitions strong enough to support meaningful peer comparison across different dealer networks, vehicle populations, staffing models and levels of technical complexity.

The conversation continues through a dedicated TAC track and 2 extended, member-generated working sessions at the Summit.

AI OPPORTUNITY MAP: Move From AI Ambition To Defensible Priorities

The AI OPPORTUNITY MAP identifies 10 actionable projects across the Service & Warranty Lifecycle and evaluates each against ROI potential, ease of implementation, data availability, organizational readiness and strategic value.

It is designed to help leaders answer 3 practical questions:

Where can AI create measurable value inside our current operation?
Which opportunities are realistic given our data, systems and readiness?
What should we prioritize first, and how can we defend that decision?

The map gives teams a structured way to compare opportunities across customer-concern capture, diagnostics, repair documentation, claim preparation, approval, adjudication, supplier recovery, parts, shop operations and quality intelligence.

MAPconnected members: $495

Non-members: $695

A Returning Kia Perspective on Warranty Data

Marijo Prodanic returns to the Summit with the Kia America and Kia North America team after contributing a 2025 case study on moving warranty data from cost-center reporting toward a more strategic operating role.

His work connects warranty payments, dealer support, technical assistance, audits, factory recovery and service-garage operations. That cross-functional responsibility creates a practical view of how data can improve product quality, claims management, dealer relationships and financial performance.

How the October Program Is Structured

The Summit is designed to move between focused learning, working discussion and cross-functional connection.

Subscribe to get early access to Agenda and special offers and updates!

October 19: Workshops and VIP Dinner Sponsored by AI-SWLM Think Tank

The opening day creates space for deeper workshop participation and relationship building before the main Summit program.

The full agenda is scheduled for release by August 31.

October 20–21: Leadership Summit, Roundtables and Xchange Group Meetups

The main program brings together case studies, leadership sessions, practical examples and peer roundtables across:

Warranty improvement initiatives
TAC tools and processes
Field service and dealer training
Quality management and root-cause identification
Recall and customer campaigns
AI and predictive analytics
Warranty metrics and auditing
Telematics and diagnostics
Connected fleets, technology and uptime
Legal and regulatory compliance
Financial products and insurance

Extra Benefits:

Beyond the main agenda, the Summit creates additional engagement opportunities for attendees to benchmark, test ideas and build practical relationships through:

• Dedicated Leadership Xchange Group time to continue member-driven benchmarking across all 7 group themes.

• A Tech Expo connecting attendees with solutions across warranty and supply chain, data analytics, telematics, AI, VR, EV services, diagnostics, training, outsourcing and connected-fleet technology.

• More than 12 hours of networking across extended breaks, meals and dine-around experiences at sponsor-supported restaurants.

• Targeted AI-SWLM Think Tank discussions focused on identifying practical, high-value AI use cases that organizations can begin evaluating and implementing.