The Reynolds and Reynolds Company today announced that Chris Walsh, formerly the executive vice president of sales and marketing, has been named president of Reynolds and Reynolds, and that Willie Daughters, the executive vice president of operations, has been named chief operating officer. Both promotions are effective immediately. Walsh succeeds Tommy Barras, who will continue serving as company chairman and chief executive officer.
In making the announcement, Barras said, “Chris and Willie are two of our most accomplished and respected leaders. Both have broad experience leading all facets of large, complex functions at Reynolds, and they lead with great clarity and a focus on customers.”
Walsh has been with Reynolds for more than 35 years, holding various leadership roles in business development, operations, quality control, sales, marketing, and support.
“Chris is a proven leader who has delivered consistently excellent results throughout his career,” said Barras. “He keeps one eye on the future of our industry and understands the challenges and the opportunities facing automotive retailing today.
“His passion for helping our customers succeed, as well as his knowledge and expertise in various areas of the company, will help drive our growth,” Barras added.
“Moving forward, we will be more focused than ever on expanding our footprint in retail automotive, making it easier to do business with us, and helping our customers achieve new levels of profitability,” said Walsh. “Reynolds is uniquely positioned to help dealers. That means equipping them to retail anywhere, without sacrificing anything.”
Daughters has been with the company for more than 30 years. Previous leadership roles have included working directly with automotive manufacturers (OEMs), directing the Canadian and European support organizations, overseeing product quality assurance and testing, and leading the technical assistance teams.
“Willie and his team are uniquely suited to help our customers gain the most possible benefit from our products and services,” said Barras. “Reynolds has long received high marks for our service and support, and we continue to push for new ways to help dealerships capture more profit. Willie has played a critical leadership role in that legacy – he has always had the success of our customers as his first priority. His passion and drive will help our customers execute at levels far beyond their expectations.”
These promotions round out the Reynolds C-level executive team. In early January, Barras named Sheri Robinson, the senior vice president of Accounting, as the company’s chief financial officer. Barras also previously named Eric Edwards, the executive vice president of technology, as the company’s chief technology officer.
“As a company, we are in as strong of a position as we have ever been,” Barras concluded. “Over the last twelve months, we have made several definitive changes to how we operate in order to make it easier to do business with us. These key promotions are one more step that helps position us to fully live up to our own aspirations, and this leadership team is poised to help every dealership exceed their goals and thrive – today, and in the future.”
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