John Paul Strong
Owner
John Paul has propelled Strong Automotive’s tremendous growth since 2004, now with 150+ employees and 400+ dealer clients. Recognized as CEO of the Year and a Top 40 Under 40 by the Birmingham Business Journal, he has earned numerous career accolades. John Paul is an accomplished author, with 1,500+ blog posts and three editions of the Next Day Traffic book. In addition to his role at Strong, he owns Hunter Ford in Indiana and holds degrees from the University of Montevallo and Harvard Business School.
Josh Bradish
Partner
Josh Bradish is a founding member of XtreamService and brings to the table more than 20 years of retail experience with Hendrick Automotive Group.
Michael Sundquist
Chief Marketing Officer
With 17 years of experience between the Hendrick and Safford automotive groups, Michael combines digital marketing expertise with hands-on dealership acumen.
Sean McGovern
Chief Financial Officer
Sean McGovern leverages 20 years of experience in the financial field to lead the agency’s fiscal strategy.
Bill Marefka
Chief Research Officer
Bill Marefka brings over 30 years of automotive experience to Strong. In his role as Chief Research Officer, he provides knowledge, experience, and insight into the development of Strong programs.
Jason Waters
Vice President of Client Engagement
With 20 years of automotive industry experience, Jason Waters oversees sales and customer relations for the agency’s dealer clients.
Liz Elder
Vice President/Media Director
With 30 years in the business, Liz Elder leads Strong’s media buying and planning division, negotiating the most value for clients’ budgets.
Stan Long
Vice President
Beginning his career at Hendrick Honda, Stan Long has worked in automotive ever since, bringing in-depth industry knowledge and strategic oversight to the agency.
Ivan Wright
Vice President of Innovation/Technology
With nearly two decades of developer experience, Ivan Wright leads the agency’s technology strategy to achieve maximum efficiency and information security.
Megan Cesnick
Director of Operations
Megan Cesnick leverages more than a decade of experience at Strong Automotive to lead agency administration and internal operations.
Holly Blalock
Art Director
Holly Blalock brings over a decade of advertising creative experience to the team, creating graphics that spur customers to action.
Katie Myers
Director of Organic Marketing
Katie Myers combines a passion for organic digital marketing with years of experience in multiple marketing director roles.
Avery Arthur
Director of Paid Ads
By maximizing Strong’s Google Premier partnership, Avery Arthur drives digital advertising results for our dealers.
Gene Gill
Creative Director
Gene Gill has spent over 20 years as a creative in the automotive advertising industry serving both Tier 2 and Tier 3 clients.