Meet The Team
Meet The Team
Gary Powers
FOUNDER/PARTNER
Gary started working in a franchise dealership in 1995. The 10 years he worked at a franchise dealership he was a salesperson, F&I Managers, Sales Managers and General Sales Manager. In 2004, Gary moved to Raleigh, NC to work for Universal Underwriters Group (Zurich Direct Markets). Gary was an account executive working with car dealerships to provide property and causality insurance, as well as F&I products for his first three years. In 2007, Gary was promoted to Regional Sales Manager for North Carolina. While at Zurich, Gary was awarded their highest sales achievement - Presidents Club in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009.
In 2009 Gary started Dealer Service Solutions to focus exclusively on F&I products for Automotive, Powersports, RV and Marine dealerships. In 2018, Gary sold Dealer Service Solutions to a large Texas based F&I administrative company. Gary managed the agency he sold from 2018 - 2020. In January 2022, Gary founded a new company F&I Agency, F&I Direct.
When Gary isn’t working, he enjoys spending time with his wife Rebecca and their four children at their lake house in Virginia.
Daniel Scarlett
PARTNER
Daniel is originally from NC and has been in the automotive industry since 2010. He has held a variety of positions in the retail side of the automotive industry with a majority of this in the business office. After 11 years in the business office, Daniel assisted in a sales manager role for an open point luxury franchise point. After a successful opening and 2 years, Daniel exited the retail space and started with APCO Holdings as the BDM over Eastern NC. Continuing his growth Daniel became a partner in F&I Direct starting in 2022.
Travon Barrino
VP OF INDEPENTDENT DEALER RELATIONS
Travon Barrino started the first 5 years of his career in 2000 working as a credit and collections manager for a furniture store. He spent the past 20 years as a branch manager, district manager, and Regional Business Development Manager for financial institutions such as Security Finance, Regional Finance, NICFN, and Flexpath Capital.
Travon has a very strong background in credit, collections, consumer finance, sub-prime auto lending, loan underwriting, market development, floorplan finance, auditing, portfolio management and personnel training and development.
Brad Stallard
Executive Director of Automotive Partnerships
Brad brings exceptional leadership experience to our organization, including years as an executive General Manager and more than 12 years with Zurich Direct Markets. His deep understanding of dealership operations, profitability strategies, and organizational development will greatly enhance the value we deliver to our dealer partners.
In his new role, Brad will:
- Strengthen and support existing client relationships
- Improve productivity through effective processes and accountability
- Introduce proven best practices learned throughout his automotive and F&I career
- Expand our national footprint by bringing new dealership partners into the F&I Direct family
Brad Stallard
Executive Director of Automotive Partnerships
Brad brings exceptional leadership experience to our organization, including years as an executive General Manager and more than 12 years with Zurich Direct Markets. His deep understanding of dealership operations, profitability strategies, and organizational development will greatly enhance the value we deliver to our dealer partners.
In his new role, Brad will:
- Strengthen and support existing client relationships
- Improve productivity through effective processes and accountability
- Introduce proven best practices learned throughout his automotive and F&I career
- Expand our national footprint by bringing new dealership partners into the F&I Direct family
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Maggie Hamilton
Controller
Maggie plays a key role in driving F&I Direct’s operational success. With a strong focus on financial management and streamlining processes, she is dedicated to ensuring smooth and efficient operations for both the company and its clients.
Maggie’s diverse background, from teaching to office management, has equipped her with the skills necessary to enhance productivity and implement effective internal controls within the organization. Her commitment to continuous improvement and delivering results makes her an invaluable asset to the team.
Outside of work, Maggie enjoys mountain biking, snowboarding, and watching Carolina Hurricanes hockey.