Join us as we celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the Automotive Retailers Association at this year’s Annual Members’ Retreat & Gala Fundraiser, taking place at the Delta Grand Okanagan in Kelowna.
This milestone event will bring together members from across the province for two days of connection, celebration, and industry engagement. New features include concurrent sessions that will provide educational opportunities and coupled with our keynote presentation will provide attendees with valuable insight into the future ahead. This year’s event will be a memorable one.
We look forward to welcoming you to Kelowna.
Surventis
AutoHouse Technologies
Ron
Adrian Scovell
Adrian Scovell
Dr. Tom Deans, our keynote speaker is the author of three books on the subject of family wealth transfers, including Every Family’s Business listed as a Forbes and The New York Times best-seller. He has delivered more than 2,000 keynotes speeches in 29 countries. With more than 2 million copies of his books sold worldwide, prepare to unlearn everything you know about business succession planning and estate planning.
We look forward to his views about one of the most difficult decisions facing every business owner, how, when and to whom they should transfer ownership of their business. Most business owners leave succession planning too late and risk destroying business value. For a generation that will live longer than any previous generation, business owners will need to reverse this trend in order to fund the longest and most expensive retirement in history. Dr. Deans will share all of the exit options available to business owners to protect the value created in their business.
Highmark Corporate Solutions KPMG Pushor Mitchell LLP
Dr. Tom Deans
Dr. Tom Deans is the author of, three books on the subject of family wealth transfers. His first book, Every Family’s Business: 12 Common Sense Questions to Protect Your Wealth, remains the best-selling family business book of all-time -- selected by The New York Times as one of the Top Ten Books Business Owners Should Read. The book has sold more than 1.5 million copies in more than 100 countries. In May 2025 Forbes named Every Family’s Business to their Best-seller List.
His second book, Willing Wisdom: Seven Questions Successful Families Ask, has received critical acclaim for its explanation of why 15 million Canadian adults do not have a legal will.
In May 2024, Dr. Deans released The Happy Inheritor: How Successful Families Prepare Heirs and Transfer Wealth, the third and final book in his Family Wealth Trilogy. This ground-breaking book reinforces the importance of preparing the next generation for the $300 million that is inherited every day by Canadians.
Having delivered more than 2000 speeches in 29 countries, he is regarded as the preeminent thought-leader on the subject of inter-generational wealth transfers.
Deans is a graduate of Mount Allison University, McMaster University and earned a Ph.D. from the University of Warwick in England.
His books and speeches aren’t just about money and clever tax plans. They’re about giving people the confidence and inspiration to begin important family conversations to transition wealth with confidence and clarity.
Steve Van de Vosse
Steve Van de Vosse - With 16 years of experience supporting business owners, Steve Van de Vosse is the co-owner Highmark Corporate Solutions, a corporate planning firm with offices in Osoyoos, Penticton, Summerland, Merrit and Kelowna working with clients across western Canada.
He and his team specialize in financial strategies to help successful business owners plan for their future, create a legacy, withdraw funds from their corporation tax efficiently, and keep more of their hard-earned wealth where it belongs…with them!
Zach Smith
Zach Smith - Zach is a Tax Partner for KPMG’s Kelowna office. He has close to 15 years’ experience specializing in tax efficient solutions for private companies and their shareholders, with a real passion for supporting family-run and owner-managed enterprises. Zach takes an education-centered approach to his work that ensures all parties involved understand and agree on the solutions put forward. Creating this understanding helps him develop a relationship with his clients where everyone is on the same page and is focused on the goals at hand.
Mark Brade
Mark Brade - Mark is a lawyer at Pushor Mitchell LLP working with clients in the areas of corporate legal matters, estate planning and administration, and real estate transactions.
Mark focuses upon the individual needs of clients, and prioritizes communication, tailoring solutions to individual client circumstances, and ensuring that the right path forward is considered, both in the near future and long term.
EventCamp staff
Rick
The focus of Tom's address is the "Transitioning of Owners" and is geared towards a multi-generational discussion around the baby boomers who are timing out. If you're a Next Gen or Baby Boomer you should definitely take this in. Tom's also very familiar with consolidation.
Tom has written three books, all New York Times Top Sellers.
Tom Deans
Dr. Tom Deans is the author of, three books on the subject of family wealth transfers. His first book, Every Family’s Business: 12 Common Sense Questions to Protect Your Wealth, remains the best-selling family business book of all-time -- selected by The New York Times as one of the Top Ten Books Business Owners Should Read. The book has sold more than 1.5 million copies in more than 100 countries. In May 2025 Forbes named Every Family’s Business to their Best-seller List.
His second book, Willing Wisdom: Seven Questions Successful Families Ask, has received critical acclaim for its explanation of why 15 million Canadian adults do not have a legal will.
In May 2024, Dr. Deans released The Happy Inheritor: How Successful Families Prepare Heirs and Transfer Wealth, the third and final book in his Family Wealth Trilogy. This ground-breaking book reinforces the importance of preparing the next generation for the $300 million that is inherited every day by Canadians.
Having delivered more than 2000 speeches in 29 countries, he is regarded as the preeminent thought-leader on the subject of inter-generational wealth transfers.
Deans is a graduate of Mount Allison University, McMaster University and earned a Ph.D. from the University of Warwick in England.
His books and speeches aren’t just about money and clever tax plans. They’re about giving people the confidence and inspiration to begin important family conversations to transition wealth with confidence and clarity.
TBD
TBD
TBD
Rick
EventCamp Staff
Rick
Rick
Rick
Adrian Scovell
Adrian Scovell
Marc
EventCamp staff
Adrian Scovell
Dejla
Adesa
Rick
DJ
