WIN names 2026 Most Influential Women, opens conference registration
The Women's Industry Network has announced the recipients of its 2026 Most Influential Women awards, timed to International Women's Day on March 8. The four honorees are Angie Babin, vice president of OEM partnerships and strategy at Caliber Collision; Brandi Brydges, director of operations at ACX (AutoCanada Collision Centres); Jeanne Esquivel, North American business development and customer delivery technology leader at Entegral, powered by Enterprise Mobility; and Kena Dacus, shop owner at Dacus Auto Body & Collision Repair.
The recipients will be celebrated at WIN's 2026 Annual Conference, May 4–6 at the JW Marriott Tucson Starr Pass Resort & Spa in Tucson, Ariz. The conference, themed "Empowering Excellence — 20 Years of Driving Change and Building Leadership," will also feature a Founding Mothers roundtable with six of the women who launched WIN two decades ago, breakout sessions ranging from welding defect identification to AI-assisted estimating, and a NABC Recycled Rides gifting of four vehicles to Arizona families.
The annual Scholarship Walk takes place May 5. Early bird registration pricing of $695 for WIN members has been extended through March 16. Full registration details are at womensindustrynetwork.com.
Crash Champions launches fourth annual Women of Crash Champions campaign
Crash Champions has launched its fourth annual Women of Crash Champions campaign in honor of Women's History Month. Throughout March, the MSO will highlight team members on its social media channels and internal platforms.
"Our vision is to Champion People, and as we recognize the outstanding women on our team, we hope their stories inspire others to explore opportunities in this industry," said Rachel Hutfless, chief client officer at Crash Champions. Stories are available on the company's YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn pages.
CIECA webinar to tackle AI misconceptions on March 12
The Collision Industry Electronic Commerce Association is hosting a free one-hour webinar March 12 titled "What You Haven't Heard About AI in the Collision Industry" at 11 a.m. PST/2 p.m. EST.
Bill Brower, senior vice president of North America claims and global industry relations at Solera, and Mark Fincher, vice president of product management at CCC Intelligent Solutions, will cover AI in damage assessment, AI in the customer experience, common misconceptions, and predictions for the future. Registration is available at cieca.com. CIECA is also accepting speaker submissions and sponsorship inquiries for its 17th Annual CONNEX Conference.
NABC Recycled Rides presents vehicle to San Diego-area veteran
An Army Reserve veteran received a refurbished 2023 Honda CRV through the NABC Recycled Rides program at the AkzoNobel North American Performance Group Conference in San Diego on March 4. The vehicle was donated by Allstate and repaired by Collision Experts, a Certified Collision Group member.
Recipient Ke Shondra White served from 2019 to 2024 and was nominated by Zero8hundred, which supports service members transitioning to civilian life. Since the program launched in 2007, NABC members have donated more than 3,750 vehicles valued at approximately $67 million.
CCC Intelligent Solutions adds data and AI executive to board
CCC Intelligent Solutions Holdings Inc. has appointed John Schweitzer to its board of directors. Schweitzer most recently served as executive vice president of sales at Salesforce, overseeing the Informatica line of business following Salesforce's November 2025 acquisition of Informatica.
He previously held chief revenue officer roles at Informatica and Software AG and senior positions at Workday, SAP, and Oracle. CCC's platform connects more than 35,000 businesses across the property and casualty insurance economy, including collision repairers, insurers, OEMs and parts suppliers.
ASE launches licensed test prep partner program
ASE has introduced its Officially Licensed ASE Test Prep Partner initiative, designed to help technicians and students identify preparation materials that align with current ASE certification exams.
Qualifying organizations must maintain a current test prep library covering at least one full ASE Master test series and meet additional membership and accreditation criteria. Approved partners may use the official logo and receive placement on the ASE website. Organizations interested in applying can email marketing@ase.com.
Scholarships open with March 31 deadline
Multiple scholarship programs are accepting applications through March 31. The ASE Education Foundation is offering the Michael Busch Memorial Scholarships to two students entering the collision repair field for the 2026–27 academic year.
CAWA and the University of the Aftermarket Foundation are also accepting applications for automotive scholarship awards through automotivescholarships.com, where a single application receives consideration for all eligible programs. The University of the Aftermarket Foundation additionally offers heavy duty and collision repair scholarships at heavydutyscholarships.com.
Fernando Montano joins CAWA Manufacturers' Advisory Council
Fernando Montano of Dayco has been appointed to CAWA's Manufacturers' Advisory Council. Montano serves as national key account manager for U.S. light vehicle at Dayco and brings more than 20 years of automotive aftermarket experience, including senior roles at Timken and Bendix.
