DAYTON, Ohio — When Reynolds and Reynolds Co. leaders head to Dallas this week for the annual NADA Show, they'll have a key goal in mind: Demonstrate to auto dealers that the company is shedding its inflexible and difficult past.
For two years, the dealership technology giant has been remaking itself under new leadership following the departure of longtime CEO Bob Brockman, whose tenure at the company ended in November 2020 after he was indicted in what the federal government has called the largest tax evasion case ever brought against an individual in the U.S.
Under Brockman, who died in August at age 81 while awaiting trial, Reynolds and Reynolds gained a reputation in the industry as a challenging business partner, with complicated contracts and rigid policies. Executives say the change at the top — Tommy Barras, the company's former president and COO, took over as CEO after Brockman stepped down — was the "inflection point" that prompted them to examine their operations, practices and policies.
The transition also coincided with the pandemic and the market changes it prompted, they said.