Nationwide Marketing Group, owner of a stable of high-performance dealer buying groups like Oasys, Ellipsys, and Azione Unlimited, announced this week that it has appointed Patrick McCarthy as the new Executive Director of Azione Unlimited. As you most likely know, McCarthy has been a long-time member of the group’s management since 2019 and has served as the Interim Director since June in the wake of Richard Glikes departing the group back in February.
Patrick’s new appointment is effective immediately, which is a good thing as the group is about to launch its Fall Conference, taking place this year in San Diego, CA from October 21st – 23rd.
See more on the appointment of Patrick McCarthy at Azione Unlimited
McCarthy comes to this role from a bit of a non-traditional background. His first exposure to Tech in general, and custom integration specifically, was as a journalist when he joined NAPCO and CT Lab as an Associate Content Editor back in 2016 working on – among other things – Connected Design magazine. Prior to that, he held assorted editing and reporting roles for various newspapers and online content providers.
A Non-Traditional Path to This Moment in Time
After a couple of years there, he left CT Lab to become a Director of Communications for Portal.io, a position he held for a little less than a year. It was then he was brought into Azione Unlimited by Richard Glikes as the group’s first Director of New Business Development & Dealer Services. That role, which immediately put him into direct and daily contact with Azione Unlimited members, is where he really cut his teeth on the “inside baseball” of the custom integration industry.
Patrick has shown incredible personal and professional development, and his passion for our industry and commitment to Azione Unlimited dealer and vendor members makes him the ideal candidate for this role. We look forward to the fresh perspective and new ideas he will bring to the group as we push forward into the future.
Andy Orozco, Nationwide Marketing Group Senior Vice President for Custom Integration, in a prepared statement
The Sponge Approach
I have known Patrick since the days he worked at NAPCO/CT Lab and found him bright, articulate, and inquisitive. He is a quick learner and, like a sponge, immediately set to soak up a lot of learning from working side-by-side with Richard when he joined the team. But he also had a steady stream of input from his daily interactions with the membership of the group – not always pleasant, as challenging issues crop up in any business – but no doubt an interesting contrast or counterbalance to the view from the top.
All of this experience should serve him well, as he moves forward in his new(?) role as the Executive Director of a group he now knows like the back of his hand. Nationwide says that McCarthy “will continue to work closely with the Azione team and advisory board to drive the organization’s strategic vision and oversee daily operations.”
The End of an Extensive Search
I’m truly honored to step into the role of Executive Director at this exciting juncture for Azione Unlimited. Over the years, we’ve seen tremendous evolution within our company, our membership, and the industry as a whole. As technology advances and new challenges emerge, we’re eager to lead both our team and our community in tackling these opportunities head-on. My commitment is to support our dealer and vendor members in navigating the ever-changing landscape, fostering innovation, and addressing their evolving needs. Together, we’ll continue to grow and strengthen Azione Unlimited as the premier destination for the brightest minds and highest-caliber businesses in the custom integration space.
Patrick McCarthy, Azione Unlimited Executive Director, in a prepared statement
The announcement this week of McCarthy’s appointment marks the end of an executive search conducted by Nationwide for a new Executive Director. Heading up that search was Andy Orozco, who told me that after an extensive search that yielded “a few” potential candidates, he and others on the selection panel felt that Patrick was the right choice for this organization at this time.
A New Day Dawns on Azione
So a new day dawns on Azione with this final decision on, and appointment of, a new leader. Next week, McCarthy kicks off his first event at the helm as Executive Director at the group’s Fall members conference in San Diego. It is his time to set a new tone as the new leader of the group, as well as to set forth his business priorities for the group for 2025.
Orozco told me that McCarthy had broad support from both the dealer and vendor members of the group, but they will likely now be looking at him in a different light. They will looking for his thoughts and his plans to reassure them of the path of the group.
Learn more about Azione Unlimited by visiting azioneunlimited.com.
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