Penny Wanna, the president of Auction Academy, was so impressed with the Certified Automotive Remarketer (CAR) program, that she added it to the professional curriculum at her academy.

As a result, the fifth and sixth classes were the first ones since the academy opened in 2012 where all students achieved the credential. Class 7 starts in November. “It’s been a huge success,” Wanna said. “Not one student has dropped out.”

Wanna will be a panelist at the Conference of Automotive Remarketing next month to share her insights with remarketing professionals on how they can join an advanced industry group that carries an added badge of credibility.

The Certified Automotive Remarketer program is run by the International Automotive Remarketers Alliance (IARA) and is available to all members. The program includes 20 courses in five units: 1) Remarketing channels 2) Pre-sale activities 3) Actual sale activities 4) Post-sale activities and 5) Legal, ethics and terminology.

The panel session, “Testimonials: How the IARA CAR Certification Advanced My Career,” will be held Wednesday, June 16 from 2-2:45 p.m. ET / 11-11:45 a.m. PT during the in-person and livestreamed conference event at Caesar’s in Las Vegas. Brent Garrett, director of commercial sales at CarLotz, will lead the session that includes Scott Kolb of Privacy4Cars, Penny Wanna of Auction Academy, and Mary Beth Greenstone of LeasePlan USA.

“The IARA CAR certification is a unique and one-of-a-kind educational experience that provides a well-rounded overview of the auto remarketing industry,” Garrett said. “You want to be a thought leader and industry expert in your field. Taking the step to get certified and that level of commitment shows you are dedicated to continuing education.”

The program’s 20 modules can be completed in a few months or gradually up to three years. Garrett said he completed the course in three months by devoting his evenings to study and reviewing materials.

“You can look at it from two standpoints: It adds credibility to your business, especially as a newer entrant to the market as a start-up. When competing against national players and you’re not national yet, you want to do everything you can to give yourself a competitive advantage to be on the same playing field.”

So far, the program has graduated 256 professionals in the U.S. since the third quarter of 2012, and 30 in Canada since the first quarter of 2019, for a total of 286 grads.

“As we are growing the business, we are certainly having discussions on incorporating CAR certification for future employees for promotions and additional compensation bonuses,” Garrett said.

For Wanna, also the vice president of administration for TPC Management Company, the certification filled in some missing pieces and connected the dots. “The program put it all together for me and gave me a language for all the processes.”

When two industry colleagues can speak consistently about the same process, that boosts the level of professionalism, Wanna said. “That’s a match; that’s a win.”

CAR certification can also enhance a resume, she said, since you instantly know the outlines and structure of industry auction practices.

“It makes you a better player, employer and leader to all be on same page with the remarketing process,” Wanna said. “The more people you have at one location with CAR certification, the better the consistency and understanding, and that equals quality.”