CIECA will host its next webinar, “The Evolution of Blockchain and How Insurers Are Leveraging the Technology,” on Thursday, May 7, at 11 a.m. PDT/1 p.m. CDT/2 p.m. EDT. The free, one-hour live broadcast will feature Eric Phillips, senior director of product operations for The Institutes RiskStream Collaborative.

During the webinar, Phillips will provide an overview of blockchain and its evolution. He will also discuss how insurers are leveraging blockchain and provide insight on how it could be used with other technologies in the future.

“It's incredibly exciting to see blockchain technologies move beyond concept and into production, solving real-world business challenges that the industry has long faced,” said Phillips.

As the collision industry increasingly recognizes the power of trusted data exchange, Phillips said the ability to share claims data in real time is a game changer—enabling proactive claim identification, streamlined claims data exchange, and a host of downstream business values that were previously out of reach.

“Innovations like these are unlocking tremendous value and building greater confidence across the ecosystem,” he added. “We look forward to exploring how this evolution is reshaping the future at the upcoming webinar.” 

In his current role, Phillips is responsible for designing and building innovative multiparty technology solutions for RiskStream’s member companies. He also serves as lead product owner for RiskStream’s RAPID X auto claims data exchange solution. Tasked with managing the life cycle of product concepts, he oversees initial ideation through design, development, testing, and, ultimately, insurer adoption.

Before joining The Institutes in 2023, Phillips worked for nine years at GEICO in associate, supervisory, and managerial roles for the company’s property-casualty claims departments. At GEICO, he positively influenced loss and expense ratios by spearheading projects related to claims fraud, litigation management, and customer service, among others.

Phillips holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Connecticut School of Business and is currently pursuing the CPCU designation.

The Collision Industry Electronic Commerce (CIECA) announced today that the following 2026 officers were named during the January Board of Trustees meeting, held in Palm Springs, CA.

Chair: Kim DeVallance Caron, Business Development Director, Enterprise Mobility

Vice Chair: Ken Eagleson, Vice President of Business Development, OEC Insurance Solutions

Treasurer: Ed Mondragon, Property and Casualty Claims Director, State Farm

Secretary: Creighton Warren, Chief Information Officer of the Boyd Group

The officers will serve on CIECA’s executive committee, which oversees business matters throughout the year and plans the agenda for CIECA board meetings.

“I’m genuinely excited about the opportunity to help accelerate the industry’s digital transformation,” said DeVallance Caron. “As vehicles, repair processes and customer expectations evolve, the need for clean, consistent, real‑time data exchange has never been greater."

She said that CIECA sits at the center of that evolution.

When asked about being CIECA’s 2026 chair, representing Enterprise Mobility on the board, DeVallance said she is energized by the chance to help guide the next generation of standards that will support the entire ecosystem.

“At Enterprise Mobility, we see every day how important strong partnerships and seamless data flow are — whether it’s managing replacement rentals, coordinating with repair facilities or supporting insurers and OEM partners,” she shared. “When systems communicate effectively, everyone benefits; cycle times improve, delays decrease, and customers get a cleaner, smoother process.”

What excites DeVallance Caron the most about being CIECA’s chair this year is the opportunity to champion initiatives that strengthen interoperability and ensure standards keep pace with emerging technologies like AI, telematics and advanced vehicle diagnostics.

This year will be focused on building momentum, deepening collaboration and ensuring CIECA continues to be the trusted foundation the industry relies on.

DeVallance Caron said that CIECA is built on partnership. “It’s not just a standards organization — it’s a collaborative community that brings together every segment of the collision ecosystem to solve shared challenges,” she shared. “Our focus is on creating practical, usable, future‑ready standards that make everyday operations more efficient and more connected.”

She reminded stakeholders that CIECA is listening closely to the industry. “We’re focused on ensuring our standards support the realities of modern repair: increasingly complex vehicles, growing data requirements, and the need for faster, more accurate communication between all parties,” said DeVallance Caron. “We’re also committed to making participation easier and more accessible so that every stakeholder has a voice in shaping the future.”

At its core, DeVallance Caron said CIECA’s focus is simple: reduce friction, improve data quality and help the industry operate with greater speed and confidence.

Learn more about CIECA API Standards (CAPIS), committee involvement and membership details on www.cieca.com or email operations@cieca.com.

CIECA announced today that the Board of Trustees has expanded the number of board seats due to the continued growth in the organization’s membership. Representatives from the following five companies will join the board, effective immediately.

Boyd Group: Creighton Warren, Chief Information Officer (CIO)

Claim Leader LLC: Andre Shervanian, Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Crash Champions: Mark Miller, Chief Information Officer (CIO)

DataTouch LLC: Pete Tagliapietra, Managing Director

Snapsheet: Mark Santefort, Vice President of Operations

“On behalf of the entire organization, we are thrilled to welcome Mark Miller from Crash Champions, Mark Santefort from Snapsheet, Andrew Shervanian from Claim Leader, Pete Tagliapetra from DataTouch, and Creighton Warren from Boyd Group to the CIECA Board of Directors,” said CIECA Chair Brady Bonner, vice president of client sales and support at Safelite. “We look forward to the insight and perspective each will bring to the organization. Thank you for joining us; we’re honored to have you on board.”

Boyd Group: Creighton Warren, Chief Information Officer (CIO)

Warren has been the chief information officer of the Boyd Group since June 2023 and is responsible for enterprise IT capabilities across all business units and geographies. His prior experience includes the role of vice president and chief information officer of TreeHouse Foods and 15+ years at USG Corporation, where he was vice president and chief information officer.

“I’m looking forward to helping advance the adoption of modern technology standards to facilitate the interoperability of solutions across the collision repair value chain,” said Warren.

Boyd Group is one of the largest operators of non-franchised collision repair centers in North America in terms of number of locations and sales. The company currently operates locations in Canada as Boyd Autobody & Glass and Assured Automotive and in the U.S. as Gerber Collision & Glass, Glass America, Auto Glass Service, Auto Glass Authority and Autoglassonly.com. Boyd Group also operates a third-party administrator, Gerber National Claim Services and Mobile Auto Solutions, which offers scanning and calibration services.

Claim Leader LLC: Andre Shervanian, Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Shervanian is a seasoned entrepreneur and technology leader with over a decade of experience in the insuretech industry. As the CEO, he has developed innovative claims management solutions that streamline operations for insurers, third-party administrators, independent appraisers and repair networks. His expertise lies in SaaS platform development, workflow automation and business strategy, helping clients enhance efficiency and optimize claims processing.

"I'm honored to join the CIECA Board of Trustees and contribute to the advancement of industry-wide standards,” said Shervanian. “As the automotive claims and repair ecosystem continues to evolve rapidly—with increasing reliance on technology and data interoperability—CIECA’s role has never been more critical.”

Shervanian said he is especially excited about the opportunity to collaborate with leaders across the industry to streamline communication, reduce friction and create a more transparent and efficient experience for all stakeholders involved.

“Standardization is essential not just for operational efficiency but for building trust across the entire collision industry,” he added.

Claim Leader is a provider of cloud-based claims management solutions. The company offers a software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform designed to automate and streamline the claims lifecycle. Its technology enables insurance carriers, third-party administrators, independent appraisers, and repair networks to efficiently manage assignments, estimate damages, track progress and generate reports. With a focus on innovation, the company strives to deliver scalable, user-friendly solutions that enhance operational efficiency and improve customer experiences across the insurance claims ecosystem. 

Crash Champions: Mark Miller, Chief Information Officer (CIO)

Miller is an experienced industry leader who oversees Crash Champions’ technology and security infrastructure. He joined Crash Champions in 2022 and previously served as vice president of information technology. He was appointed CIO in 2023. Miller brings more than three decades of experience in the digital technology space, including his prior role as chief technology officer (CTO) at a national collision repair organization, as well as CTO and CIO roles at Party City. He was also the founder and CEO of Precocity, a leading digital technology and cloud services company.

Crash Champions is a national multi-shop operator (MSO) specializing in high-quality collision repair services with more than 650 locations across the U.S. 

DataTouch LLC: Pete Tagliapietra, Managing Director

Tagliapietra is a former member of the CIECA board and has many years of experience in collision repair, auto insurance claims, and automotive aftermarket information technology companies. He launched NuGen IT in 2004, which was acquired by OEConnection in 2020. Most recently, Tagliapietra launched DataTouch LLC, an information security, data privacy and repair planning technology company. Throughout his career, he has been active in CIECA, the Collision Industry Conference and the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS).

“The long-standing contribution that CIECA has made to the collision repair industry supply chain has permanently changed the industry for the better,” said Tagliapietra. “I am so pleased to participate as a board member again.”

DataTouch offers a suite of applications that provide collision repair operation(s) control of customer personal identifiable information (PIII) and repair data. It also assists with refining the repair planning process with management information reporting.

Snapsheet: Mark Santefort, Vice President of Operations

Santefort has worked in the auto insurance industry for over 20 years. In his 10+ years at Snapsheet, he led the company from an early-stage start-up to an industry leader in digital claims experience and virtual appraisal. He focuses heavily on leveraging technology and data to automate and drive efficiencies across customer experience, repairer interactions and the appraisal process.

Whether it’s advancing technology or best practices, Santefort said he looks forward to being part of solutions that ensure consistency and efficiency in the industry.

"Having unified collision industry standards is critical—it ensures quality, safety and fairness for all stakeholders,” he noted. “Consistent standards reduce guesswork, minimize risks, and foster the ability to drive automation and an improved consumer experience.”

Snapsheet: Snapsheet helps claims organizations of all sizes to quickly improve customer experience, drive greater organizational agility, and deliver transformational benefits through a suite of cloud-native solutions within the Snapsheet Claims software platform. This includes Snapsheet Appraisals and Snapsheet Payments, as well as through Snapsheet Appraisal Services.

Thank you to the following publications for sharing this announcement:

Autobody News

BodyShop Business

Collision Repair Magazine

CollisionWeek

glassBYTES

The next CIECA Webinar will take place on Thursday, April 17 at 11 am PT/1 pm CT/2 pm ET: “Tariff Turbulence and the Collision Industry.

During the free webinar, Mandell will talk about the impact escalating trade tensions and the ongoing threat of new tariffs are expected to have on the auto insurance and collision industries. He will share the latest updates on the growing global conflict and how it is affecting carriers, repairers and OEMs when it comes to:

·New and used vehicle values

·Claim costs and cycle time

·Total loss thresholds

·Parts selection for repairable automobiles

·Changes in consumer behavior

Also included in the discussion are mitigation strategies for lessening the impact of tariffs on businesses in the collision industry.