AUTOCANADA ANNOUNCES EXECUTIVE PROMOTIONS AND LEADERSHIP TRANSITIONS

AUTOCANADA ANNOUNCES EXECUTIVE PROMOTIONS AND LEADERSHIP TRANSITIONS

EDMONTON, AB, Nov. 13, 2025 /CNW/ - AutoCanada Inc. ("AutoCanada" or the "Company") (TSX: ACQ) a leader in Canadian automotive retail, today announced several senior leadership appointments and transitions, effective immediately, as the Company continues to strengthen its operational foundation and leadership bench.

• Mikel Pestrak has been promoted to InterimPresident, Dealership Operations. Mikel joined AutoCanada in 2018 and has built one of North America's top-performing Finance & Insurance dealership operations. With more than 18 years of experience in the automotive retail and insurance industries, and a proven record of operational and financial excellence, he brings strong leadership and strategic focus to his new role overseeing all dealership operations.
• Art Crawford has been promoted to President, Collision Operations. Since joining AutoCanada in 2018, Art has transformed the Company's collision operations from a loss-making unit into one of Canada's fastest-growing networks, now spanning 32 locations and achieving strong profitability. He brings over 20 years of automotive industry experience across rental, MRO distribution, and collision repair, and has a proven track record of operational excellence.
• Cynthia Hill has been promoted to General Counsel. Cynthia joined AutoCanada in 2020 after a successful career as a corporate law partner at Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP, where her practice focused on corporate and commercial law, mergers and acquisitions, and capital markets. She has played a key role in guiding the Company through complex transactions, corporate governance, and sustainability initiatives, and will now oversee all legal, compliance, and risk functions.

As part of a planned transition, Jeff Thorpe, former President of Canadian Operations, and Brian Feldman, former Chief Operating Officer, have stepped down from their executive roles and remain with the Company as advisors to the Interim CEO through January 1, 2026 to ensure a smooth transition.

"I am delighted to congratulate Mikel Pestrak, Art Crawford, and Cynthia Hill on their well-deserved promotions. Each has demonstrated exceptional leadership and delivered transformative results in their respective areas. Mikel through record-setting dealership F&I performance, Art by building a thriving collision platform from the ground up, and Cynthia by steering our legal and governance functions with unwavering professionalism," stated Samuel Cochrane, Interim Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of AutoCanada." I would also like to sincerely thank Jeff Thorpe and Brian Feldman for their contributions to AutoCanada and for their continued support during this transition period."

About AutoCanada

AutoCanada's Canadian Operations segment operates 64 franchised dealerships in Canada, comprised of 23 brands, in eight provinces. AutoCanada currently sells Acura, Audi, BMW, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, GMC, Honda, Hyundai, Infiniti, Jeep, Kia, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, MINI, Nissan, Porsche, Ram, Subaru, and Volkswagen branded vehicles. AutoCanada's Canadian Operations segment also operates three independent used dealerships and 15 stand-alone collision centres within our group of 32 collision centres. In 2024, our Canadian dealerships sold approximately 85,000 new and used retail vehicles. Our collision centres offer an opportunity for the Company to retain customers at every touchpoint within the automotive ecosystem.

AutoCanada's U.S. Operations segment, operating as Leader Automotive Group, operates 13 franchised dealerships comprised of 9 brands, in Illinois, USA. Leader currently sells Audi, Hyundai, Kia, Lincoln, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Subaru, Toyota, and Volkswagen branded vehicles.

Certain statements contained in this press release are forward-looking statements and information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation. We hereby provide cautionary statements identifying important factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those identified in these forward-looking statements. Any statements that express, or involve discussions as to, expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, through the use of words or phrases such as "will likely result", "are expected to", "will continue", "is anticipated", "projection", "vision", "goals", "objective", "target", "schedules", "outlook", "anticipate", "expect", "estimate", "could", "should", "plan", "seek", "may", "intend", "likely", "will", "believe" and similar expressions) are not historical facts and are forward looking. In particular, this press release contains forward-looking statements with respect to, among other things, our actions to improve core operations, optimize cost structure, strengthen profitability and reduce leverage, and the impact of the transaction on Adjusted EBITDA margin and earnings per share.

AutoCanada cautions that the foregoing forward-looking statements are subject to assumptions, risks and uncertainties and our ability to mitigate and address those risks and uncertainties. The Company's Annual Information Form and other documents filed with securities regulatory authorities (accessible through the SEDAR website at www.sedarplus.ca) describe the risks, material assumptions and other factors that could influence actual results and which are incorporated herein by reference. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof and AutoCanada assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances, except as may be required pursuant to applicable securities laws.

SOURCE AutoCanada Inc.