Chris Kerby
Chris Kerby founded Areté Dealer Solutions, LLC in 2018, bringing more than three decades of leadership and advisory experience in the automotive industry. Throughout his career, Kerby has served as a trusted strategic partner to many of the nation's most prominent, successful, and sophisticated automotive dealers.
Kerby began his automotive career in 1990 during his senior year of college with Bob Howard Auto Group, where he quickly advanced into management. He ultimately became Director of Finance and Insurance (F&I) for Bob Howard Automotive Group in Oklahoma City. Under his leadership, the group's F&I operations consistently ranked among the top ten most profitable in the United States, establishing a benchmark for performance and operational excellence.
From 1996 to 2014, Kerby served as Partner and Chief Operating Officer of First Dealer Resources, LLC (FDR), an independent automotive F&I consulting firm. During his 18-year tenure, Kerby oversaw the firm's expansion from a regional consultancy serving dealers in Oklahoma and Arkansas to a national organization supporting more than 200 dealerships across 30 states. Under his direction, FDR became nationally recognized as a premier F&I management and consulting firm, known for delivering industry-leading profitability and sustainable results for its clients.
The FDR organization encompassed multiple specialized operating companies, including a vehicle service contract and aftermarket product administration platform, a financial services division that chartered and managed dealer-owned reinsurance companies, a national F&I management and sales consulting firm, and a comprehensive automotive training institute.
In 2014, Kerby led the successful sale of FDR to Genstar Capital, a leading private equity firm. Following the acquisition, FDR was merged with Genstar's recent investment, Innovative Aftermarket Systems (IAS). Kerby remained with the organization as President of Sales, overseeing national sales operations that supported 250 general agents and more than 3,000 automotive dealerships nationwide.
After retiring from IAS in 2016, and at the encouragement of numerous long-standing dealer clients and industry leaders, Kerby returned to the automotive sector in 2018 to establish Areté Dealer Solutions, LLC, where he continues to provide strategic advisory, performance optimization, and F&I leadership services to select dealer partners.
"Kerby has served as a trusted strategic partner to many of the nation's most prominent, successful, and sophisticated automotive dealers."
JD Couch
JD has 24 years of automotive experience. He has held every position on the variable side of the dealership operation, including most recently serving as General Manager of a multi-franchise auto group in Oklahoma.
Prior to that, JD served as Sr VP of Dealer Development for IAS, responsible for the in-store dealer development of IAS's nationwide operations. At FDR, JD served as the lead account executive for several of FDR's top clients, while also directing and serving as lead instructor for FDR's national automotive training institute.
Prior to joining FDR, JD owned and operated an event sale or "Super Sale" team that he successfully operated from 2004-2009 holding over 250 events throughout the US, including 25 events in Alaska.
JD has a proven track record of leading, training and developing sales personnel, Sales Managers and Finance Managers, with an in-depth understanding of how to connect, and effectively lead even the strongest of personalities.
Dennis Davis
Dennis Davis brings over 40 years of automotive industry experience, with leadership spanning dealerships ranging from 80 units per month to a metro Ford store selling more than 700 new and used vehicles monthly.
From 2000 to 2002, Dennis served as Platform Director for Bob Moore Auto Group's seven-store operation in Oklahoma. He was then recruited by Group 1 Automotive to lead their Honda/Acura operation in Oklahoma, where he spent 13 years. Under his leadership, the dealership became the most profitable Honda/Acura designation in the Group 1 portfolio, achieving the highest net-to-gross and net-to-sales performance for 13 consecutive years. This track record led to his selection as a 20 Group moderator throughout his tenure.
Dennis has earned recognition from virtually every major manufacturer he has represented. His accolades include the Ford President's Award, Blue Oval Certification, and Legend of Leaders distinction. He achieved Master Dealer status with Cadillac, the Mark of Excellence Award with Buick, and the Elite Award with Oldsmobile. Additional honors include the Pinnacle Retail Excellence Award with Land Rover, the Summit Award with Saturn, the Nissan Award of Excellence, and the Mazda President's Award. He is also a member of Chevrolet's Society of Sales Executives.
Dennis is a five-time Honda President's Award recipient and has earned Acura's Precision Team/Dealer of Distinction honor seven times. He holds Executive Manager certifications with Nissan, Honda, Acura, and General Motors, as well as a General Manager Executive designation with Gulf States Toyota.
He is also a Certified Legal Compliance Specialist through ACE and Mosaic.
Gianfranco DelCastillo
Gianfranco (Franco) joined ARETÉ Dealer Solutions, LLC in 2022. He began his career in the auto industry working for a successful multi-franchise dealer group in Oklahoma. Franco spent 11 years working for the same group, becoming the top salesperson and eventually General Sales Manager in 2014.
As GSM, Franco helped his dealership increase sales and overall net profitability by over 250%. When his dealership was sold to a new ownership group, Franco chose to stay with his previous owner accepting a senior finance position within the dealer group's "flagship" Ford store. There, Franco's performance ranked him in the top 2% in the nation.
Franco is a true F&I pro who specializes in quickly identifying an individual's unique talents and strengths, as well as their weaknesses, then providing them knowledge, skill development, and guidance to elevate their performance to levels they previously might not have believed possible.
He is bilingual in English and Spanish, and is certified as an Auto Legal Compliance Officer through ACE and Mosaic.