Steve Kessell, operations director, Collision Repairers Association

Steve’s experience in autobody repair is varied and spans at least the last twenty-five years. 

Initially, he concentrated on the area of management consulting with an emphasis on IT facilities and software systems implementation and support for internal operating systems design methodology. 

This led to an offer from a large and growing group to join their permanent staff and grow with them. During his ten years with the group, Steve studied and gained an in depth understanding of all facets of motor vehicle autobody repair from estimating through to deciding on repair versus parts strategy. He gained invaluable insight into operating efficiency and effectiveness. 

Steve was also employed at other motor body repairers to run the front office from an estimating and customer relations perspective. He also held general manager positions before being offered the opportunity to run CRA firstly as back-office operations and then as national director. 

Steve has always had a passion for motor vehicles and is now entrenched in the industry to ensure the success of growing and maintaining this valuable market segment. The aim is for synergy and collaboration, binding the skills of work provider to the qualified artisan who may not necessarily be the person to show business acumen but advise on sustainable and continued business operations. 

Steve supports the CRA strategy of safety through standards and thus is intricately involved in skills development programmes, the updating and validating of qualification curriculums and the effect of changes in technology and their impact on repair scope and procedures in current repair methods.

SHARE