Our Leadership Team
Meet the driving force behind dealer success. The leaders of Ascent Dealer Services combine retail grit, proven F&I mastery, and an unshakable commitment to helping every partner outperform the competition.
Adam Marburger
CEO
Adam P. Marburger is a highly accomplished individual with a diverse range of expertise and achievements. As a father of three daughters, he values family and understands the importance of balancing personal and professional life. With nearly two decades of experience in the automotive retail industry, Adam is a respected veteran who has made significant contributions to the field.
Currently, Adam holds the position of President/CEO at Ascent Dealer Services, an insurance brokerage firm that specializes in serving the automotive, RV, power-sports, and marine industries. In addition to this role, he is also the President of Alton Family Martial Arts & Fitness, where he shares his knowledge and passion as a martial arts instructor. Adam has achieved the rank of Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, showcasing his dedication and expertise in this discipline.
James Mercer
Executive Vice President
James Mercer is Executive Vice President of Ascent Dealer Services, which he joined in June 2025 as Vice President of Sales. He spent nearly two decades at Protective, starting in 2006 as an Account Executive and working up through trainer, regional management and regional vice president roles. His last role there was Divisional Sales Director for the automotive agent channel across the Western United States.
Rob Johnson
Vice President of Sales
Rob Johnson is Vice President of Sales at Ascent Dealer Services, which he joined in late 2025. Before Ascent he worked at Protective Asset Protection as a district manager, regional sales director and divisional sales director, and he graduated from Protective’s Amplify Leadership Program. He appears on CBT News to discuss dealer reinsurance.
Paul Brown
Vice President of Training and Development
Paul Brown is Vice President of Training and Development and a partner at Ascent Dealer Services. He served in the US Air Force and worked as a Chicago police officer before moving into automotive retail, where he rose from the sales floor to finance director of a large St. Louis automotive group and later managing partner of a CDJR store in Missouri. He has close to 30 years of dealership experience.
Sylvia Lyons
Director of Operations
Sylvia Lyons is Director of Operations at Ascent Dealer Services in Alton, Illinois, where she oversees the agency’s day-to-day operations. Before Ascent she spent about a decade as an account executive.
Laura Georgeoff
Executive Assistant
Laura Georgeoff is Executive Assistant to CEO Adam Marburger at Ascent Dealer Services. Her earlier work spans the medical field, human resources, franchising and franchise relations.
Matt Gruenke
Sales Executive
Matt Gruenke is a Sales Executive at Ascent Dealer Services, where he works with dealers on their F&I programs. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater.
Cindy Zieba
Sales Executive
Cindy Zieba is a Sales Executive at Ascent Dealer Services, where she has helped dealers improve their F&I operations for about five years. She was a guest on the I’m A Car Chick automotive podcast in 2024.
Billy Gorth
Executive Coach
Billy Gorth is an Executive Coach at Ascent Dealer Services, which he joined in 2023. He spent three decades in automotive retail, starting as a salesperson and rising to Dealer Principal, and is a graduate of the NADA dealer program.
Amy Hitch, MBA, SPFS
Executive Coach
Amy Hitch, MBA, SPFS, is an Executive Coach at Ascent Dealer Services, which she joined in December 2024. She began in F&I in 2012 as the sole finance manager at her hometown Ford dealership in Missouri, later joined a high-volume Buick GMC dealer group, and was named an Automotive News 40 Under 40 honoree in 2022. She holds an MBA from the University of Missouri–Rolla and the AFIP Senior Professional in Financial Services (SPFS) designation.
Eric Eash
Executive Coach
Eric Eash, CPFS, is an Executive Coach at Ascent Dealer Services, which he joined in October 2025. He brings 14 years of automotive retail experience across sales, service, finance and management, and holds AFIP’s Certified Professional in Financial Services designation.
Jeremy Olson
Executive Coach
Jeremy Olson is an Executive Coach at Ascent Dealer Services, which he joined in June 2026. He brings nearly three decades of retail automotive experience, from showroom sales through dealership leadership, including recognition as runner-up for F&I Dealer of the Year and nearly a decade of Council of Excellence honors.
Leadership That Raises the Standard
Ascent Dealer Services is led by a team of seasoned retail professionals, NADA graduates, and industry innovators who live and breathe F&I excellence. Every leader brings real-world dealership experience and a servant-leadership mindset grounded in authenticity, drive, and integrity.
Our standard is simple: deliver measurable success and set the benchmark for F&I performance across every vertical. From coaching and product strategy to dealer partnerships and culture, our leadership team is united by a joint mission to help you build lasting profit, stronger teams, and a business that performs at the highest level.
Protect Profit, Build Trust, and Strengthen Results
Start your next phase of F&I growth with a partner who helps you win. Schedule a call with Ascent Dealer Services to stabilize profit, develop leaders, and elevate every part of your F&I department.
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