Vehicle Administrative Services (VAS) announced Jan. 11 John Sopocy’s promotion to the company’s president, with founder Bill Breindel leaving day-to-day operations and moving to chairman and CEO roles.
Breindel said the transition has been planned since Sopocy left his previous 10-year position with Assurant around 2014, where he took on senior positions in risk management, claims and product development. Additionally, Sopocy previously worked for Enterprise Financial Group, where he was responsible for performance programs and dealer/consumer services.
The two met during a typical claims audit. Breindel said he later hired Sopocy with the intent of grooming him to step into the president role. Sopocy was previously the company’s senior VP of claims and risk management.
“I was impressed with his people skills, product knowledge and aptitude toward learning new products,” Breindel said. “John has a unique skillset. It is rare in this industry you have someone who understands the full spectrum of product claims and reinsurance.
“John’s experience in our industry gives him unparalleled insight into our overall strategy and operations,” he said.
Sopocy will assume day-to-day responsibilities for the company’s 70 clients. Breindel will with focus on sales and opportunities, he said.
Breindel, who founded VAS in 1998, said the transition was a unique experience.
“When you found something, you birth and nurture it, and letting go is a hard thing,” he said. “Certainly, you are turning your eldest child over to someone else’s care. When you turn that child over, you want someone to care for it, grow with it and make it grow.”
“I have always been interested in improving our environment through teammate collaboration and technology as a force to improve the customer experience,” Sopocy said. “It begins with understanding our teammate’s needs and creating an atmosphere of respect and unity. That will translate into an unmatched customer experience.”
VAS was acquired by Brown & Brown Dealer Services in October last year.
