CertifiedFirst welcomes new chairman

Members of the CertifiedFirst Network of collision repair centres advisory council elected Ken Friesen, president and CEO of Concours Collision Centres in Calgary, AB, to the position of chairman of the Council this April during the Council’s 4th annual meeting held in Vancouver, B.C.. Friesen offers over 35 years of experience in the collision repair industry and boasts extensive involvement with collision associations. He is a past president of the Automotive Service and Repair Association of Alberta and was a founder and past chairman of the Canadian Collision Industry Forum (CCIF). Currently, Friesen is chairman of the process and innovation committee for CCIF. In 1999, he was the recipient of the ‘Hall of Eagles’ award, which recognizes exemplary leadership, dedication and outstanding contribution towards the betterment of the collision industry. Friesen was also presented the ‘Innovator of the Year’ award by Bodyshop Video at NACE in 2005. In addition, Friesen was instrumental in both the development and implementation of the present ASRA C-Car standards program, and the re-writing of the Alberta Apprenticeship Training Program. Formed to act as a sounding board, the Council provides guidance and input to ensure network growth, program compliance and value added program consistency to the Network.