About Us

Alan Algan

CEO - Executive Director

Mr. Algan is responsible for establishing ADI’s policies and procedures, as well as overseeing daily operations and long-term strategic planning. He has spent more than 14 years as an owner and director of operations, respectively, of two F&I schools. Prior to that, he spent 18 years in the automotive industry in senior management positions, including a stint as vice president of an international leasing company. In 1992, Mr. Algan wrote the popular authoritative resource guide, Automotive F&I Management, the first book of its kind admitted and catalogued by the U.S. Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. Enormously successful, the book has sold out each of its five editions.

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Arzu Algan

CFO - Dean of Education

Dean Algan is responsible for developing and structuring the ADI’s course curriculums. She holds instructor and associate director certificates from the BPPVE. Previously Dean Algan served as director of education at two F&I schools. Prior to that, she was an experienced F&I director who was responsible for lender relations, contracting and cash management at a large automobile dealership. She also conducts ADI’s automotive lending workshops in Asian Pacific in conjunction with The Asian Banker. Dean Algan studied at Northwood University, majoring in Automotive Marketing and Management. She serves on the board of teaching faculty for the Banking Academy – Education Centre for Practicing Professionals for The Asian Banker.

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Amber Grunwald

Vice President - Director of Operations

Ms. Grunwald is responsible for managing the daily business activities of the school. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Arizona and a Master of Fine Arts from the University of California, Irvine. She has an extensive background in design and is also responsible for design-related aspects related to the school. Previously, Ms. Grunwald specialized in architectural lighting renderings, which have been published worldwide.

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Marguerite Watanabe

Professor - Director of International Programs

Prof. Watanabe is responsible for ADI's international programs in Europe and Asia. Prof. Watanabe is considered one of the nation's top experts in automotive financing for twenty years. She currently serves as principal of Connections Insight, a company focused on strategic partnering between auto finance service providers and finance sources including captives, banks and credit unions. Previously, Prof. Watanabe served as Auto Finance Practice Manager at BenchMark Consulting and Senior Vice President at Equifax and BarNone. Additionally, she spent ten years in management positions with Nissan North America and Nissan Motor Acceptance Corp. in the USA and Japan. Prof. Watanabe earned her B A degree in Political Science and Economics from the University of California, Berkeley, and her MBA from Pepperdine University. She serves on the Board of Directors of the American Financial Services Association (AFSA) and the National Auto Finance Association (NAF).

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George Halloran

Professor - International Programs

Prof. Halloran brings nearly 30 years of international banking and automotive lending experience to ADI’s international clients. He is considered one of world's utmost experts across the global auto financing spectrum, including field operations, strategy and planning, finance, marketing, risk management and IT with in-depth knowledge of origination, servicing and funding processes.

Prof. Halloran is a former vice president of global strategic planning at Ford Credit, the world’s largest auto finance company serving 10 Million customers in 40 countries. As executive director of Ford Credit Europe, Prof. Halloran managed staffs supporting 23 country operations and directed credit operations for the 50-country Ford Distributor Network.

Prof. Halloran earned his BS degree in Physics at Penn State University and MS in management from USC.

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Michael D. Strauber

General Counsel

Mr. Strauber has been practicing law in Arizona since 1983. As general counsel to the Automotive Dealership Institute, Mr. Strauber is consulted on all legal issues, from protecting the school’s proprietary and intellectual content from copyright infringement to ensuring the school’s compliance with all federal and Arizona school laws. Mr. Strauber received his Juris Doctor from the University of Kansas School of Law in 1983, and later that year was admitted to the State Bar of Arizona. In addition to being a respected attorney, Mr. Strauber is also a Certified Public Accountant.

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Aylin Algan

Assistant to General Counsel

Ms. Algan received her Juris Doctor degree from Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles, California in May of 2007 and was admitted to New York State Bar in 2008.  While attending law school, Ms. Algan served as a law clerk for the Orange County District Attorney’s Office (2005), and also completed a summer associateship in a Barristers’ Chambers in London, England where she assisted in litigating high profile cases in the Royal Courts of Justice (2006). Ms. Algan was also an accomplished member of Southwestern’s Trial Advocacy Honor’s Program.  During her tenure as a trial advocate, she took first place in a trial competition hosted at Southwestern, and placed as a semi-finalist in a national trial competition hosted in Salt Lake City, Utah.  Ms. Algan’s educational background includes an emphasis in Copyright Law, Entertainment/Media Law, Patent Law and Business Law.

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Jack Ferry

Professor - Automotive Finance Management Program

Professor Ferry is responsible for teaching ADI's Automotive Finance Management program. An expert from both sides of the fence, as a lender and finance director, he also keeps the curriculum current. Prof. Ferry served in executive positions with Ford Motor Credit Co. and Americredit Corp., and also held senior management positions including finance director and special finance director at major dealership groups in Arizona and Indiana. He has won numerous awards, including Outstanding Member of Finance. Prof. Ferry graduated from California State University, Fullerton with degrees in Business Administration and Finance.

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Robert King

Professor – Service Advisor Program

Professor King grew up in the retail automotive business. His family owned and operated a large Ford Lincoln Mercury franchise. He began working at his family's dealership when he was 15, starting as a lot boy and working in every position including new car salesman, F&I manager, sales manager and general manager. He also co-founded a successful rent-a-car company and personally installed and trained personnel in all new franchised locations throughout the United States. Prof. King graduated from Northwood University's Michigan Campus with degrees in Automotive Marketing and Business Administration.

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Wayne Mehrtens

Associate Professor – Service Advisor Program

Prof. Mehrtens is responsible for teaching ADI’s service advisor program. His automotive career began in 1982 in San Antonio, Texas as an F&I Manager. Four years later he became the General Manager of a multi-point domestic and import new car franchise. His experience expanded to twelve years with the BMW product line. Prof. Mehrtens is a graduate of the Skip Barber High Performance Driving School, Ryan Finance and Insurance School, BMW Sales Managers Training School, and the M.A.P. Management program. Prof. Mehrtens also majored in Research Anthropology and Archeology at the University of Texas at San Antonio.

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Becky Chernek

Professor - Specialty and In-House Dealership Programs

Professor Chernek grew up in the automotive industry. At an early age, she started helping her father run their family–owned Cadillac-Pontiac dealership. She started as a salesperson, and worked her way through every position, including F&I Manger, F&I Director, and Sales Manager, all the way up to General Manager. After successful tenures at JM&A and AutoNation, she established her own dealership consulting business. Chernek Consulting, Inc. has helped hundreds of dealerships throughout North America increase PRU profits and CSI, while simultaneously fine-tuning F&I and Sales operations. Ms. Chernek became an Associate Professor at Automotive Dealership Institute in 2007. Professor Chernek will now feature ADI’s web-based F&I training in her national in-house dealership workshops, in addition to presenting dealership-exclusive workshops at ADI, and special lectures for ADI students.

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Kelly Molloy

Director of Admissions

Ms. Molloy serves as ADI’s Director of Admissions.  She is responsible for responding to initial inquiries about ADI, and assuring that all student questions are answered in a timely manner. She guides students through the entire enrollment process.

She graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Arizona.  Ms. Molloy is also a graduate of UCLA’s Professional Screenwriting Program.  She has spent the last several years working in both administrative positions and as a freelance writer. 

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Tanya Marquez

Receptionist - Front Office Manager

Ms. Marquez manages ADI’s front office. She coordinates all incoming and outgoing phone calls, arranges appointments, and assists with processing student and administrative paperwork.

She is also responsible for assuring all student files comply with state, federal and accrediting standards;  including tracking students grades and attendance. Ms. Marquez brings more than six years experience of office management to ADI, including several years at a Phoenix-based logistics company where she utilized her bilingual communication skills to coordinate international transactions. An Arizona native, Ms. Marquez is able to use her detailed knowledge of the area to assist ADI’s out-of-state students during their attendance.

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