Setting the Bar Above the Standard

Rich is the Founder & CEO of WGA, and was dedicated to building & executing the vision for the future of the group. Prior to William Gabriel Auto, Rich built a wealth of experience in corporate leadership as President & CEO of Commercial Vehicle Group, a leading global supplier of a full range of commercial vehicle cab-related systems, & 28 years at Caterpillar Inc. spanning a variety of global roles: Group President of Construction Industries & Growth Markets (a $20B segment), Vice President of Human Services, Vice President of Asia Pacific Operations, Chairman of Shin Caterpillar Mitsubishi, & multiple senior positions in product management, commercial operations, labor relations & legal affairs. While at Caterpillar, Rich managed & had accountability for several large end-to-end businesses, which included closely working with Caterpillar’s extensive global dealer network. During his career, Rich & his family were stationed, at various times, in Hong Kong, India, Japan, & China. Rich earned his B.A. from Western Illinois University, where he was recognized as Alumnus of the Year in 2014, his J.D. from Creighton University, & his LL.M (Tax) from Georgetown University. Rich & his wife, Colleen, were happily married for 49 years & became the proud parents of eight children & the proud grandparents of eighteen grandchildren. Rich previously served on the board of Allison Transmissions, Inc., ITT, Inc., and USG Corporation. Rich leaves a legacy of success, growth, principled leadership, and a commitment to excellence.

Colleen Lavin serves as Chief Executive Officer & Chair of William Gabriel Auto Group (WGA), committed to carrying forward the vision her husband, Rich Lavin, founded and devoted himself to building. Colleen has always been the steady foundation beneath WGA's founding and growth. As a Co-founder alongside Rich, she was always his closest advisor, his most trusted counsel, and fueled growth through a total commitment to the group's ambitions. "Behind every great man is a great woman" - words no moreso true than with colleen. She shaped every significant decision from the place closest to him. When Rich's career took the family abroad — to Hong Kong, India, Japan, & China — it was Colleen who made each transition possible. Rich called her, plainly and proudly, the "household CEO" — a title she earned many times over. Colleen earned her B.A. from Western Illinois University and remains deeply engaged in the charitable and community causes she and Rich championed together, carrying those commitments forward alongside her stewardship of WGA. Colleen & Rich were happily married for 49 years & are the proud parents of eight children & the proud grandparents of eighteen grandchildren. Colleen lives and leads a legacy of faithfulness, quiet strength, and an unconditional commitment to the people and the future she and Rich founded and believed in.

As CFO for WGA, Rod is responsible for all dealerships’ financial performance, financial reporting, internal business office processes, expense control, vendor management, and operational excellence. As an automotive retail veteran of 30+ years across a variety of roles within dealership operations, Rod has extensive experience across ownership group structures, geographical locations, rural, urban, and metropolitan markets, and has been an integral piece of leadership across several organizations for the past 15 years. Starting as an office manager for a small family group in the Central Valley of California, Rod has built a reputation as a manager who has a passion to continuously learn each area of dealership operations, understands the importance of strong operational goals and best practices, adheres to the disciplines of financial fiduciary responsibility, carries strong manufacturer relationships, and genuinely cares for the professional development of not only his direct reports, but of all dealership employees. Rod was born and raised in a farming community as the youngest of 6 children living in humble conditions. From his parents he learned the values of hard work, loyalty, and education. He carried these lessons with him to be a first generation college graduate (Fresno State, ’94, Accounting), and throughout his career. He and his wife of 25 years have 2 children, enjoy traveling and the outdoors, and are avid fans of professional and college athletics.

In more than eight years at Lincoln International, John has garnered a deep understanding of the complexity associated with privately owned business transactions and leverages industry expertise and global relationships to achieve optimal outcomes for his clients. He has executed transactions across multiple industry verticals, including Healthcare, Business Services, Industrials, Energy, Power & Infrastructure, and Consumer, providing strategic options to shareholders and stakeholders. John has significant mergers and acquisitions advisory experience, including U.S. and cross-border sell-side and buy-side transactions, capital raising, restructuring and valuation and opinion services. John earned a Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago, Booth School of Business, a Master's Degree in Accounting from the University of Illinois (graduating Magna Cum Laude), and Bachelor of Arts from Creighton University.

Patrick brings over 10 years of deep experience and expertise in Commercial Strategy and Operations, Marketing, Pricing, and Transformation. He has developed a track record of driving organic revenue growth in underperforming teams and businesses. Most recently Patrick has been leading Commercial Transformation on behalf of a large Private Equity firm. Prior to that Patrick led Sales Operations & Strategy at a global, publicly traded waste management company, building a high-performing team from the ground up and driving substantial revenue growth in perennially struggling Business Units. Patrick also gained valuable experience as a Strategy Consultant, working with numerous clients across a variety of industries to drive market leading revenue growth. Patrick earned a Master of Business Administration from the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, a J.D. from the Creighton University School of Law, and a Bachelor of Arts from the Catholic University of America.