Fountain Tire announced changes at the C-suite level that include the creation of a Chief Operating Officer position and the appointment of a new Chief Financial Officer.

Jason Herle will assume the new role of COO, Cathy de Kock Gordon will take on the role of CFO following the retirement of David Janzen, and Shad Smereka will become Vice President, People & Customer Experience. The new appointments are effective immediately, with all three executives based out of Fountain Tire’s corporate office in Edmonton, Alberta.

“Fountain Tire is committed to continual enhancement,” says Brent Hesje, CEO of Fountain Tire.

“Customer experience is a focus throughout our company. With an improved structure in place at head office, our store managers are better supported to focus on delivering exceptional customer service within our communities.”

“Our people and our customers are at the forefront of these changes as we continue to live our core purpose: Helping people get there – safely, sustainably and successfully,” adds Hesje.

Jason Herle is a Chartered Professional Accountant with a 26-year history with Fountain Tire. His diverse experience across the company ranges from store operations to real estate and expansion as well as wholesale.

Jason most recently served as Senior Vice President, Marketing, Information Systems & Supply Chain, marrying areas of the business that contribute to industry-leading customer experience. In his new position as COO, he will continue to operationalize the company’s focus on customer service.

Cathy de Kock Gordon, CPA, joined Fountain Tire in 2004, and over the past 17 years gained experience through progressive roles in Accounting, Finance, and Information Systems.

In November 2017, Cathy was promoted to Associate Vice President Finance, with responsibility for accounting and finance services provided to Fountain Tire businesses as well as corporate reporting, tax reporting and compliance, credit, cash management and national accounts. As CFO, Cathy will oversee the Directors of Finance in Business Operations and Programs as well as the Director of Legal & Real Estate.

Shad Smereka, CPHR is a 24-year veteran of Fountain Tire. He joined the company as Promotions Manager in 1997. He has held leadership roles in Safety, Learning and Development and HR.

In 2018, Smereka was named General Manager, People & Store Innovation, a role in which he led a team supporting more than 2,500 Fountain Tire associates across 160 store locations. As Vice-President, People and Customer Experience, Shad is focused on the connection between a fulfilled workforce and exceptional customer service.

About Fountain Tire

Established in 1956, Fountain Tire is one of Canada’s premier tire and automotive service networks with over 160 locations spanning Central and Western Canada from Vaughan, north of Toronto, to Victoria, British Columbia.

The company is a leading provider of tires and tire-related services to commercial truck fleets and off-road vehicles used in the agriculture, oil and gas, mining, and construction sectors. The majority of Fountain Tire managers own equity in their stores. This partnership-based business model combines community-invested store management with corporate intelligence to provide service that truly puts the customer first.

The company’s shared ownership business model has enabled it to be named among Canada’s “Best Managed Companies” every year since 1994.