Kayla Sheridan serves as Marketing Coordinator at OWL Automotive Consulting, where she leads the company’s marketing and communications efforts, helping strengthen OWL’s brand presence and share the expertise, people, and client success stories behind the organization.
Kayla brings more than 13 years of automotive retail marketing experience to OWL. Prior to joining the company, she served as Marketing Director for a four-store dealership group in Massachusetts, where she led marketing strategy across digital and traditional advertising, media buying, social media, public relations, events, brand development, and dealership communications.
Throughout her career, Kayla has developed a deep understanding of how to market within the fast-paced and constantly evolving retail automotive environment. Her firsthand dealership experience gives her a unique perspective on how dealers communicate with their customers, employees, communities, and industry partners.
Kayla has been recognized as a BusinessWest 40 Under Forty honoree and an Automotive News 40 Under 40 honoree for her contributions to the automotive industry.
At OWL, Kayla is focused on expanding the company’s marketing and communications strategy, increasing awareness of OWL’s expertise and services, highlighting the work of its team and clients, and helping tell the story of a company that spent its first eight years growing almost entirely through referrals and relationships.
Dealers rarely switch DMS providers because of price alone. From technology and security to customer service, end-user impact, AI readiness, and implementation, here's what dealerships should evaluate before making a DMS change.
Cyber risks can exist in places you may never think to look. A recent malware campaign involving automotive infotainment systems highlights a larger cybersecurity lesson for dealerships: every connected device can become part of your IT environment. Learn why device visibility, inventory, updates, and proactive security matter.
Dealership accounting requires specialized experience, and financial leadership needs can change quickly. Fractional CFO services give dealerships access to experienced financial guidance while supporting succession planning, developing future accounting leaders, strengthening financial processes, and preparing the organization for continued growth.
Cybersecurity threats don't always start with someone hacking into your network. Increasingly, criminals are targeting everyday dealership business processes, including vendor payments, invoices, banking changes, and accounting workflows. In this blog, we explore why cybersecurity is just as much an accounting and operational responsibility as it is an IT responsibility. Learn how payment fraud happens, why dealerships can be attractive targets, and how strong internal controls, verification procedures, employee awareness, and collaboration between IT, Accounting, Operations, and Leadership can help protect your dealership from costly fraud.
Building a new dealership or renovating an existing facility involves much more than construction. Your DMS, network, Wi-Fi, phones, security systems, service technology, and other critical tools all depend on IT infrastructure that should be planned before the walls go up. This dealership IT construction checklist covers seven areas dealers should address early, including internet service, network infrastructure, data cabling, wireless coverage, equipment planning, cybersecurity, and move-in coordination. Learn how involving IT early can help prevent costly change orders, avoid opening-day technology issues, and create an infrastructure designed to support your dealership today and as it grows.
Buying a dealership is only the beginning. Getting the technology ready for Day One requires coordination across the DMS, users, security, computers, networks, payment systems, phones, vendors, and more. See how OWL Automotive Consulting helped Pharr Nissan of Chesterton bring the moving pieces together and transition from acquisition to ongoing operations.
OWL Automotive Consulting announces a new chapter in its leadership as co-founder Sally Lopez assumes full ownership of the firm and the role of Founder and CEO. With more than 38 years of automotive industry experience, Lopez will lead OWL's continued growth and expansion of services for dealerships nationwide.
Today's dealerships depend on technology across every department, from DMS and OEM applications to service lane tools, accounting systems, networks, and cybersecurity. But managing an increasingly complex technology environment can pull valuable time and resources away from running the dealership. In this blog post, we explore what Managed IT Services really mean for dealerships, the difference between fully managed and co-managed IT, and why more dealer groups are choosing an automotive-focused MSP. Learn how the right IT partner can help reduce downtime, strengthen cybersecurity, support dealership technology, and provide the strategic guidance needed to scale and plan for future growth.
A successful dealership DMS implementation takes much more than installing new software. From planning and data conversion to system configuration, integrations, employee training, go-live, and post-launch support, every phase plays a critical role in keeping the project on track. In this blog post, we break down the seven phases of a successful DMS implementation, common mistakes dealerships should avoid, and why experienced project management can make such a difference. Whether you're transitioning to Auto/Mate, CDK Global, Cox Automotive, DealerBuilt, Dominion, PBS, Pinewood, Reynolds and Reynolds or Tekion, learn what your dealership should expect throughout the process and how the right preparation can help minimize disruption, reduce risk, and set your team up for long-term success.
Gain an inside look at OWL Automotive Consulting's dealership IT assessment process. Learn how our team evaluates network infrastructure, cybersecurity, hardware, and hidden technology risks to help dealerships improve performance, strengthen security, and prepare for future growth.
Planning a DMS implementation is about much more than migrating data and training employees, it's also one of the most important opportunities to strengthen your dealership's cybersecurity. During a DMS conversion, critical business systems, customer information, financial data, and user permissions are all being reviewed, making security a key part of a successful implementation. In this article, learn why cybersecurity should be built into every phase of your DMS project, from planning and user access to network security, backups, multi-factor authentication, and employee training. Discover common security risks dealerships overlook during DMS implementations, practical best practices to reduce risk, and how a dealership-focused technology partner can help ensure your conversion is secure, compliant, and positioned for long-term success. Whether you're moving to CDK, Tekion, Reynolds & Reynolds, or another platform, these cybersecurity strategies can help protect your dealership.
Ransomware is one of the most dangerous cyber threats today, targeting individuals and businesses alike. Understanding how it works and how to protect yourself is essential in today's digital world.
We work with dealerships of any size, manufacturer, and DMS to improve operations and drive results. Tell us about your dealership, and let’s get started today.