San Jose, CA – January 11, 2016 – Certified Collision Group™ (CCG), the Certifications and KPI-focused solutions provider to the automotive Collision repair and Insurance communities announced today the appointment of Bruce R. Bares to the position of President and CEO. Mr. Bares was also elected to CCG’s Board of Directors, effective immediately.
“Bruce’s extensive leadership experience in both Insurance claims management and Collision repair uniquely positions him to lead CCG and manage the 1stCERTIFIED™ initiative,” states CCG Managing Director, Thomas Adams. “Bruce’s vision for improving the competitive position of top performing, independent collision businesses while adding value for their key trading partners, is significant for the advancement of CCG’s mission.”
Mr. Bares career in Collision repair industry began in 1975, as a combination body and paint technician in the family’s Midwest collision repair facility, advancing to estimator and center manager. In 1984, Bares entered the insurance industry as a field appraiser, relocating out West. Over the next 20 years of carrier service with Colonial Penn, GE Auto and Home, and AIG, Bruce provided vision and leadership in the areas of inside and field claims operations, regional management, regional and national DRP oversight, and technology acquisitions. He eventually was appointed to the top material damage executive home office position with GE auto and Home. After 20 years in Insurance claims management, Bruce returned to the Collision repair segment as President and Chief Operating Officer of a California regional 10-location MSO. In 2012, Bruce founded Certified Collision Centers, an Arizona regional MSO. Bruce most recently served in an executive special projects role with the Boyd Group.
“CCG’s commitment to improving the competitiveness of top performing collision repair businesses in a rapidly changing and consolidating industry is a vision and a mission I am excited to part of,” states Bares. “The 1stCERTIFIED™ solution focus on repair certifications, proven performance, and the retention of well-established local brands while creating a national presence, is a strategy that’s both needed and unique within our industry.”CCG Affiliates are centric to collision repair consumer satisfaction, insurer partnerships and certifications. Both current and future participants are required to consistently deliver verifiable market-leading performance in repair capabilities, customer satisfaction, cycle time and loss of use management.