NICHOLAS D’ALESSANDRO

For Nicholas (Nick) D’Alessandro, business has always been a part of his life. However, it wasn’t until he worked at other businesses that he realized the collision repair industry and his family business was where he belonged. Nick completed his undergraduate degree in business administration at the Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario and a Master of Science in Supply Chain Management at Rutgers University. He was nominated for 30 Under 40 by his colleague, Jessica D’Alessandro, head of marketing and public relations for CSN 427 Auto, CSN Avenue and CSN Heartland.

Nick’s affinity for entrepreneurial learning drew him to the “many multifaceted challenges” of the industry. “Over time, I have seen how much opportunity for improvement still exists in our industry and that motivates me to strive to find ways to get better and make a real impact,” said Nick, who now works in financial business planning at The CSN 427 Auto Group.

Community matters the most to Nick and his family. That’s why a proud moment in his career was celebrating the 50th anniversary of CSN 427’s longest-standing employee. “To see the community he has built around him in this industry, the friends he has made and the positive impact our business has had on his life brought us so much joy,” said Nick. “We want our team members to be proud to work for our brand and be able to build a life with us.”

This is something Nick is already accomplishing. “Nick is a well- spoken leader who is amazing at guiding groups through the shop and speaking on our repair equipment and processes,” said Jessica. “He is trusted by our team members and is a confidant for many, working closely with our HR team.”

One industry issue Nick wants to tackle head-on is how post-repair vehicle value is judged. “Currently, post repair vehicle values are substantially lower than non repaired vehicles and these values are generalized based on the value of the repair and not the quality,” he explained. “I would love to change that outlook and create positive value for both the owners of the vehicles and the body shops who are putting in the correct work to get those vehicles fixed properly.”

The CSN 427 Auto Group believes that they can stay ahead of the increasing complexity of repairs by partnering with OEMs. “The manufacturers are truly the only ones who can properly tell you how to fix a vehicle correctly, and by partnering with them, we believe we are, and will continue to be, leaders in our industry for repair quality and standards,” said Nick.

Nick wants to be at the forefront of change, and his colleagues applaud him for bringing forward many of the technologies they use today, including their Symach System, management system (Nexsyis), employee recognition platform (Worktango) and phone system (Dialpad). “I truly believe customer-facing technology, alongside exponential improvements in vehicle repair technologies, are the major changes we will see sooner than most people think,” said Nick.

“Nick is a well-spoken leader who is amazing at guiding groups through the shop and speaking on our repair equipment and processes. He is trusted by our team members and is a confidant for many, working closely with our HR team.” - NOMINATED BY JESSICA D’ALESSANDRO, COLLEAGUE