Compete's automotive practice is led by automotive veterans who have unmatched automotive industry expertise at companies including, Ford Motor Company, General Motors Corporation, Nissan North America, R. L. Polk & Co. and Toyota Motor Sales NA.
Practice Leadership
Mike Bailey
Managing Director
Mike has worked in the retail banking and consumer marketing industry for 25 years. His background includes positions at Bank of America, FleetBoston Financial, Shawmut Bank and Manufacturers Hanover Trust. For the past 15 years, he has created online growth strategies and developed e-commerce channels that customers trust and use. Prior to joining Compete, Mr. Bailey was Senior Vice President and Internet channel manager at Bank of America and held various positions at FleetBoston Financial. Mr. Bailey started his career at Manufacturers Hanover Trust, in New York City, before relocating to Boston where he was the director of advertising at Shawmut Bank for 10 years.
Mike holds a BA from Williams College.
Dennis Bulgarelli
Director
Dennis has 25 years of experience in automotive research and strategic planning at some of the top advertising agencies in the US. He has worked extensively with Ford Motor Company and General Motors Corporation helping to identify positioning and customer strategies that supported the launch of some of the biggest brands in the industry, such as the Ford F-Series, Ford Taurus, Chevy Silverado and Chevy Tahoe. Prior to joining Compete, Dennis was Senior Vice President, Director of Account Planning at Campbell-Ewald where he was responsible for positioning and consumer insights for all Chevrolet Truck brands. He has also worked at J. Walter Thompson where he worked closely with future product planning teams to understand customer motivations and acceptance of new vehicle models.
Dennis holds BA and MA degrees from Michigan State University.
Kristen Clark
Director
Kristen has more than 10 years of automotive industry experience in market research and strategic planning. Her background includes tenures with industry-leading Tier I suppliers in marketing and exterior components. As a Detroit-based Director in Compete’s Automotive Practice, Kristen leverages her experience to advise leading automotive OEMs about their marketing effectiveness. Prior to Compete, Kristen worked at R. L. Polk & Co. (Polk) where she analyzed the automotive market to create customer strategies targeted at sales growth in new and used vehicles as well as service and parts. Prior to Polk, she worked for North American Lighting, an industry-leading manufacturer of automotive lighting products, where she managed their competitive market analysis and in-depth technical trend outlook to develop the company’s short and long-term forecast.
Kristen holds a BA degree from Northwood University.
Hal Wurster
Director
Hal brings expertise in automotive marketing, sales and planning to Compete that includes multiple positions with Ford Motor Company. As a Director in the Automotive Practice, Hal leverages his nine years in the trenches at Ford Motor Company to advise major OEMs about their marketing programs. With Ford Motor Company, Hal led field sales and marketing teams for the Ford, Lincoln and Mercury brands. Hal had extensive experience developing and executing regional marketing and communication plans, executing vehicle launches and developing vehicle incentives and advertising messages. Hal’s background also includes sales planning and distribution experience working directly with hundreds of dealers across the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic markets. He has been recognized as a leader in sales and incentive development, 360 degree marketing campaigns, dealership process improvement and developing high performing sales and marketing teams.
Hal holds a BS degree from Wayne State University