The Canadian automotive world is shocked and saddened by the sudden passing last weekend of Pieter van der Griend, who worked in the auto industry for 25+ years in a variety of capacities and had a passion for everything about cars.
The 58-year-old died in a motorcycle accident last weekend in Bracebridge, Ontario.
Van der Griend worked for the last 16 months as Director Solutions for Tekion Corp, managing all aspects of personalized business applications.
“As Director of Solutions, I love to create, scale and optimize complex business portfolios,” he wrote on his LinkedIn page. “I achieve this by delivering key outcomes, building solution-oriented teams and adapting new technology.”
Previous to Tekion, he had worked as Team Lead for Silver Star Mercedes-Benz in Montreal. He had also worked in management capacities for Don Valley Volkswagen, Heffner Lexus Toyota, Stouffville Hyundai and Stouffville Chrysler. His career began in 1999 as Retail Manager for Mercedes-Benz Thornhill, and after 6+ years he became the manufacturer’s National Marketing Communications Manager.
He had been a mentor for young executives and served on the board of Consolidated Dealers.
Rein Knol, Dealer Principal of Performance Hyundai and Distributor Principal of Genesis Niagara, first met van der Griend back when he worked as Mercedes-Benz’s National Marketing Communications Manager from 2005-2009. They also knew one another through Hyundai’s National Dealer Council and frequently rode together.
“I was shocked, we just spoke a week ago,” said Knol in an interview with Canadian auto dealer. “Pieter was a lifetime member of the Canadian automotive community, no doubt, he’ll be greatly missed by his friends and his colleagues. It’s a real shame. Everything he did was automotive. It always pulled him into it. He always managed to learn a different area of the business. He liked the feel and people in the industry.”
Hyundai Canada President Don Romano remembered van der Griend professionally and personally. Van der Griend served on Hyundai’s National Dealer Advisory Council when Romano joined the company in 2014. Through its Automotive Retail Cloud, Tekion became a strategic partner in May with Hyundai Canada.
“He always had a big vision for growth and moving things forward,” said Romano. “The car business was his love. He had spent quite a bit of time with big groups, small dealerships and the corporate side. I’m not just missing a good business partner, but I’m missing a great friend. I wish the best for his family and condolences to them.”
Tekion Founder/CEO Jay Vijayan, remembered van der Griend as a valued member of the company who was known for his dedication, enthusiasm, passion and expertise in the automotive industry.
“Pieter’s contributions played an integral role in bringing Tekion’s modern business applications to retailers and OEMs, which provided value to the automotive industry in Canada and leaves a lasting impact on our organization and the industry as a whole,” said Vijayan. “Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with Pieter’s family and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time.
“At Tekion, we are a close-knit family, and Pieter’s absence will be keenly felt by all of us. We are providing support to our employees as they navigate this tragedy and are committed to honouring Pieter’s memory in a meaningful way. We will remember Pieter for his professionalism, kindness, enthusiasm and the positive impact he had on those around him. As we mourn this loss, we will continue to support each other and ensure that Pieter’s legacy lives on within Tekion.”
Blair Creed, Vice President, International & Luxury Brands Platform, AutoCanada, had a long friendship with van der Griend going back to their days working with Mercedes-Benz in the late 90s.
“Pieter loved people and he loved the excitement and energy of the retail business,” said Creed. “He was so full of energy, just a fun guy. With Pieter, I always use the word resilient. The truth is, he had a lot of different jobs, some of them have gone well and some of them haven’t gone so well, but whatever happened he just picked himself up and kept going. He was always positive and kept moving on, and I just liked that about Pieter. He was in such a happy place in his life just recently, that’s what is really heartbreaking.”
Canadian auto dealer Publisher Niel Hiscox added: “For me, Pieter combined great depth of automotive experience with shared acquaintances and other experiences that go all the way back to high school. He will be truly missed by many.”
Van der Griend coached minor hockey with the Leaside Flames from 2008-2015, and eight months ago joined with a bunch of others who were part of the organization for a skate at Leaside Memorial Gardens and to honour the members who had passed.
Van der Griend was a father of two boys and a daughter.
