Mark McCollum is an innovative, senior-level Executive with 35 years of automotive retail management and dealership operations experience. Over his career he has owned or partnered in 7 automotive dealerships and has participated in 11 buy/sell agreements. A serial entrepreneur, he has partnered and advised in many other businesses including multiple restaurants, helicopter aviation, real estate holdings and entertainment.
Mark’s expertise in automotive retail includes direct leadership of retail management and operations, profit and loss responsibility and financial analysis including multi-state oversight of dealerships. He retired in June 2017 from AutoNation, the largest automotive retailer in the US as Market President for Arizona and later Texas where he oversaw as many as 22 franchises under 18 rooftops with revenues in excess of $1.5 billion. He knows the issues, opportunities and challenges that face automotive retailers today. This first hand experience led Mark to pursue software development as a founder/co-founder/advisor in companies such as Golfradar, Play and Win Sports, PACE and now AiQware. AiQ, as it’s commonly known, is dedicated to the incubation and development of software technology companies and new products for the highly competitive automotive retail space through product engineering and intelligent design. AiQ’s goal is to make a difference at every level of a dealership and ultimately help them sell more cars.
In addition to these software ventures, over the past 12 years Mark has secured ownership in companies spanning multiple industries including a 14 rooftop restaurant group in California consisting of 4 concepts, a helicopter aviation business in Austin, TX and various real estate holdings in the U.S. He sits on the Board of Directors for Play and Win Sports, Onsite Dealer Solutions, and PLLC and serves as an advisor to Opa! & Hero Adams Restaurant Groups and Colleen’s Dream Foundation. His past board seat affiliations were with the Houston Chevrolet Dealers, D.C., BMW Advertising Board and Automotive Resource Network (ARN).
An avid mentor and inspirational speaker, Mark enjoys working with young people and entrepreneurs on special projects. He travels nationwide for business and pleasure and enjoys incorporating motivational speeches about leadership, communications and operational efficiencies. Mark attended Texas A&M University and Lon Morris College where he studied business finance. Passionate about sports and fitness, he played college basketball and continues to compete in golf, tennis and basketball. He also recently began helicopter pilot training. He and his wife, Meredith, reside in Austin, TX.
With over 22 years of experience in software design and development, Prasad Chavali spent much his time contributing to numerous start-ups while growing his own team of over 125 developers in India. He graduated with a Master of Information System degree from Arizona State University in 1995 before starting his career as a software developer at a local contracting company in Phoenix. In 1997 he was recruited by Motorola as a Senior Software Engineer and in that position, toured over 8 different countries installing and training teams in Quality Management software. After partnering for a period of time in an Asset Management software company, Prasad ventured out on his own. Having experienced the .com boom and bust, post 9/11 economic pressures and eventually the 2008 market crash, he not only survived but flourished, by offering unique solutions for enterprise level software.
Mr. Chavali’s off-shore development team that began with just two team members in 1999, has now grown to include offices in Hyderabad and Rajahmundry with a combined staff of 125, 40 of which are solely dedicated to Automotive IntelliQence projects. Other current ventures include proprietary solutions for Find Your Influence, Play and Win Sports, Onsite Dealer Solutions and clearVRtech. With his extensive experience and training, Prasad has created a solid foundation for the build and delivery of complex platforms for the automotive industry. He regularly commutes to and from his offices in India and countless visits to automotive retailers and related shows around the US.
Prasad likes traveling for business and pleasure and has logged over 2 million miles in the last 10 years across 12 different countries. His other interests include golfing, photography and writing. He currently has ownership in 7 different start-ups and contributes technology to 2 non-profit organizations.
A graduate of Sheridan College in Marketing & Design, Chris Tivey spent the first 25 years of his career as a Creative Director, founding 3 successful firms: Ideation (Vancouver, Toronto), The Hathaway Group and Envisioning & Storytelling - executing successful campaigns for clients such as General Motors, Estee Lauder Cosmetics, Kraft General Foods, Air Canada and The Calgary Olympic Development Committee, to name a few.
In 1995, his focus turned primarily to resort development projects, working closely with Intrawest Corporation before assuming the role of VP Marketing and then President of Star Resort Group in Scottsdale, AZ. During this time, Chris was a active member of the Urban Land Institute and ARDA (American Resort Development Association). He currently sits on the Board of Directors for Lakewoods Resort Developments, Inc., a 1,500 acre lakefront community in the Madawaska Highlands of Ontario.
In 2007, Chris founded Gravity Destination Properties, Inc. where he negotiated a global license with the PGA TOUR for a member’s private and corporate experience leisure club (THE PGA TOUR CLUB). In 2010 he sold the business to Club Holdings, LLC in Denver CO. During this time, Chris met and began collaborating with Prasad Chavali on the development of numerous software platforms. Together they developed and co-own Play and Win Sports, a fantasy golf platform. In close collaboration with Creative Director Kevin Murphy, Chris has been passionate in the creation of the unique and intuitive user experience for AiQware.
In his younger years, Chris’ weekends were spent racing motorcycles on the road circuits in the Northeast. Today he spends what little spare time he has with much safer activities such as golf and hiking. Chris maintains residences in Scottsdale, AZ and Austin, TX.
Kevin Murphy brings his extensive experience and knowledge of web and app design to the Automotive IntelliQence team. In every aspect of our projects he has carefully crafted the user experience to meet the specific needs of the automotive retail industry.
As a Graphic Design graduate of Fanshawe College in London, Ontario, he has honed his creative skills while providing successful solutions for small and large companies. Prior to joining Automotive IntelliQence, he operated his own busy consultancy for 14 years, wearing all the hats associated with the hectic world of digital design. Kevin makes Vancouver, British Columbia his current home while commuting regularly to the company offices in Arizona and Texas.
Paired with passionate ambition and his love for great design, Kevin’s ability to maintain product consistency under tight deadlines while collaborating with the software content and development team has proved to be his greatest strength. He has spent much of the past 6 years working in similar capacities with other tech startups such as Play and Win Sports, Find Your Influence and Onsite Dealer Solutions.
When not buried in the tens of thousands of layers of Photoshop files that comprise the unique user experiences of AiQware and other related applications, Kevin is an avid golfer, hockey player and also enjoys snowboarding, surfing and mountain biking.
4029 S Capital of Texas Hwy.
Suite 201, Austin, TX 78704
Founder/CEO
480.302.0952
