NAAA Names Two Cox Executives as Warren Young Fellows

The National Auto Auction Association recognized two high-profile leaders on Feb. 1 as Warren Young Fellows for their service to the remarketing industry.

Warren Young Fellows are named by the NAAA Warren Young, Sr. Scholastic Foundation, founded in 2004, that helps students pursue dreams of higher education, assists individuals in their time of need following weather disasters, and provides support to other charitable organizations whose missions align with the Foundation.

Grace Huang, president of Cox Automotive Inventory Solutions, was celebrated for her unparalleled service and dedication to advancing the wholesale auto auction industry, her commitment to advocating for diversity and inclusion initiatives, and support of the NAAA.

The Inventory Solutions group that Huang leads connects Manheim with a suite of global inventory management solutions such as vAuto, Kelley Blue Book Instant Cash Offer, and Upside. She also leads groups within Cox Automotive that include Manheim Marketplace, Manheim Digital, Inventory Management Solutions, Safety, Logistics, and Cox Automotive International.

Huang led an informative panel at NAAA’s Total Access Meeting this week focused on career paths for women in the automotive industry, and for her ongoing support of NAAA.

Dale Pollak, whose career in the automotive industry spans more than four decades, was cited for his exceptional contributions to the industry. He is the founder of vAuto and executive vice president at Cox Automotive. As a dealer, technology entrepreneur, and best-selling author, Pollak has helped over 12,000 automotive dealers in North America make dramatic improvements in their new and used vehicle operations.

A former Cadillac dealer in Chicago, Pollak’s entrepreneurial career resulted from his unique circumstances of not being able to physically see his dealership’s used vehicle inventory due to a degenerative retinal condition. This led him to pioneer the use of data science evaluating used vehicles, ultimately creating software solutions based on local market supply/demand metrics that informed critical used vehicle decisions.

Today, Pollak’s investment and market-based approach, Variable Management, serves as the driving methodology for vAuto, the company he founded in 2005. A part of Cox Automotive since 2010, vAuto solutions are used by thousands of dealers every day. Pollak continues to guide strategic integrations and innovations for vAuto and other Cox Automotive brands as a part of the company’s executive leadership team.

Huang and Pollak were both honored with $2,500 donations on their behalf to the NAAA Foundation. A Warren Young Fellow is someone who donates, or, in whose honor or memory a contribution is made, in that amount.

The Warren Young Fellow recognitions, considered a lifetime distinction, were presented by NAAA President Eric Autenrieth at NAAA’s 2024 Total Access Meeting in Las Vegas.