AAPEX 2015

Mike Simmons

Automatic


With a diverse background spanning from start-ups to the Fortune 10, Mike Simmons has leveraged his unique perspective and broad skill set to lead a number of companies to new levels of growth and innovation. Currently, Mike serves as SVP of Partnerships and Customer Experience for Automatic, where he is focused on enhancing the Automatic connected car platform by establishing partnerships with the most important and trusted brands in the car ownership ecosystem.   Previously, Mike served as President of Directed — a $100+ million consumer electronics manufacturer specializing in the automotive industry (most famous for the Viper brand of car alarms and remote starters). He joined Directed in 2008 and led the company — and the industry — into the Connected Car era. He invented and brought to market the world-famous Viper SmartStart solution — the app that lets you start, control and monitor your car from anywhere in the world with your smartphone. He was also a co-founder and Board member of Octo Telematics North America — a joint venture between Octo Telematics and Directed, and the leading insurance telematics service provider in North America.  Prior roles include General Manager at performance car maker Saleen Inc, CFO of Sonance (a custom audio manufacturer), CEO of TechSpace (a technology infrastructure provider), and various management positions at Ford Motor Company and PricewaterhouseCoopers. He is a CPA, and he holds a BBA from the University of Michigan and an MBA from Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management.

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