The Caliber family of brands, including Caliber Collision alongside Caliber Auto Care and Caliber Auto Glass, announced Feb. 9 that after 26 years with the organization, President and CEO Mark Sanders will retire and move into a special advisory role for the next 18 months, effective March 6.
Sanders grew up in the collision repair industry working alongside his father, also an industry veteran. In 1997, Caliber acquired their two collision repair shops, and since then, Sanders has held a variety of operational roles, including Caliber COO and later president and CEO.
"Mark has been the cornerstone of Caliber since 1997 and instrumental in the organization's growth and success over the years," said Steve Grimshaw, chairman of the board. "As president and CEO, he led Caliber back from the global pandemic and successfully responded to multiple industry challenges. Mark's leadership and commitment to Caliber made an enduring mark on the collision repair industry and every teammate he inspired to reach their full potential."
"Building Caliber to what it is today is more than I ever thought possible," said Sanders. "Only 10 years ago, we had 100 centers---now more than 1,600 and growing. We went from 2,500 teammates to more than 25,000. Above all, we achieved this by living our purpose, Restoring the Rhythm of Your Life®. It has been an honor and privilege serving our teammates, customers and partners for so many years."
Sanders will support David Simmons in his new role as president and CEO of Caliber. Simmons has a diverse background leading large, multinational organizations in the pharmaceutical industry and brings a wealth of experience to Caliber's next phase of growth. He previously served as CEO of PPD, where he led the company's global workforce of more than 30,000 employees across 46 countries. Prior to PPD, Simmons spent 15 years at Pfizer as the president of emerging markets and established product business units.
Simmons proudly hails from West Virginia, where he spent a decade in the steel industry. As a people-focused leader, Simmons is known for his humility and harkens to his blue-collar roots to guide him.
"I am honored to continue Caliber's legacy as an industry leader and look forward to further scaling the business while inspiring teammates to reach their full potential," said Simmons. "Caliber's purpose of Restoring the Rhythm of Your Life deeply resonates with me, and I am committed to realizing our mission to be the most trusted automotive service provider in every community we serve."
Source: Caliber
Abby Andrews