CEO of Schwartz Advisors Rick Schwartz said he’s seeing an uptick in merger and acquisition activity. M&A deal flow in the automotive aftermarket is showing early signs of gaining momentum during the latter half of 2025, but tariff uncertainty and long transaction timelines mean many processes kicked off now may not close until 2026,
https://www.aftermarketnews.com/schwartz-advisors-report-q3-ma/
The SA team – and the industry at large – look to Mort for his advice and industry insights. A true icon in the motor vehicle aftermarket, Mort is widely considered one of the most influential thought leaders and inspirational mentors in the entire motor vehicle aftermarket. Throughout his career, Mort has embodied the values that drive SA – integrity, hard work, and a passion for the motor vehicle aftermarket and the opportunities it represents.
Decades of experience in the auto aftermarket, aerospace, and industrial sectors enable Curtis to generate innovative and actionable strategic solutions for clients in both large and small companies. His background in aftermarket and OE segments ensures a balanced real-world perspective. Executive roles have ranged from direct customer interface with many of the world’s most demanding domestic and international companies to C-suite strategy creation and subsequent tactical strategy execution.
Nobody in the aftermarket understands the numbers better than Rick. A CPA and a life-long aftermarket professional, Rick has guided some of the most influential aftermarket distributors in the industry. At General Parts/CARQUEST, Rick worked in a variety of senior management positions including treasurer, controller, vice president of strategic planning and CFO. Rick helps SA clients maximize their investment through an in-depth understanding of financials based on decades of aftermarket experience.
A lawyer by trade, but an aftermarket professional by experience, Keith oversees all sell-side transactions. He is a business owner, investor, and financial and legal advisor with businesses ranging from high-tech startups to brick-and-mortar retail. Keith’s years of structuring M&A transactions, from both the legal and financial perspective give him excellent insight into the needs of our sell-side clients.
Arun has always loved cars and that passion has fueled his career in the motor vehicle aftermarket. Starting his career in deal structuring and capital markets at PwC in San Francisco, San Jose, and London, he found his niche focusing on automotive clients. As a financial expert, Arun helps clients navigate even the most difficult due diligence issues, always with the goal of surpassing client expectations. His passion for the auto industry has allowed him to work with scores of clients, creating growth and profitability in segments that include performance tuning, classic restoration, e-commerce and on-line influencers.
Mike brings more than 20 years of automotive aftermarket executive leadership and management experience to the SA team. On the sell-side, his experience in discovering, evaluating, negotiating, and closing win-win deals with strategic and financial buyers has produced the right results for the businesses he has represented. Mike is known for delivering successful outcomes for his clients by aggressively identifying and vetting the right deals, advising clients in making the right decisions, and walking them through the process of getting the deal done. As a buy-side advisor, Mike works with sponsors to better understand opportunities in the aftermarket, identify potential strategic acquisitions and fine-tune the due-diligence process for pending acquisitions.
For more than five decades, Pete has played an important role in the motor vehicle aftermarket, first as a distribution business owner and later as a senior executive at General Parts International. Pete brings a wealth of experience and sage advice to deals involving both small and large distributors. As an industry leader, Pete chaired aftermarket scholarship programs for the Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium and the University of the Aftermarket Foundation and served as Chairman of AWDA. He is the proud recipient of the industry most prestigious awards – the AWDA Leader of the Year Award and the MEMA Triangle award.
Dave is an experienced chief executive officer with more than forty years in the motor vehicle aftermarket, including CEO positions at several industry-leading manufacturers. He is skilled at negotiations, strategic business planning, operations management, and business development. Clients look to Dave for his successful experience in turnarounds at underperforming companies and positioning them for acquisition.
For 45 years, Derek has worked in the transportation industry with senior executive positions in a wide range of automotive and heavy truck companies. At SA, Derek works with clients on growth strategies as they relate to new and existing technologies. He is well versed in ICE and electric drive powertrains and is the one the industry calls on when it wants to know what the future will bring. Derek serves as a director on several corporate boards and is a regular conference speaker focusing on emerging technologies that affect automotive and commercial vehicle service providers.