Toronto, Ontario — During its annual general meeting on Apr. 29, the Automotive Industries Association (AIA) of Canada named Derek Suen the 2020 recipient of its Young Leader of the Year award.
Before obtaining his role at Dorman, Suen worked for several multination corporations, holding a variety of positions in accounting, finance and the supply chain. Now the current manager of the New Product Development Team at Dorman Products, Suen has dedicated the award to late industry veteran Roy Shannon.
Suen first connected with Shannon when he was the general manager of APM, an auto parts distributor in Atlantic Canada. Suen says Shannon tutored him on customers, ASPs and technicians, which spurred their relationship.
During his career in the aftermarket, he spent hours on end touring the Atlantic region with Shannon—a five-decade aftermarket veteran.
As their relationship grew, Suen says Shannon provided a foundation for his approach to businesses, citing his high degree of customer service.
“If you ever had the opportunity to work with him, you’d know that there’s absolutely nothing he wouldn’t do for you,” said Suen. “Likewise, it felt as there would be nothing you wouldn’t do for him.”
When accepting the award, Suen emphasized the important lessons he retained from his time with Shannon.
“Often you don’t realize the impact someone has on your until they are gone,” he said. “His simple yet effective formula of success is one that I will cherish forever: Check that ego, always do more than what’s expected and build strong relationships to weather any storm.”
Suen graduated from Wilfried Laurier University with an honours degree in Economics in 2006, returning a decade later in 2017 to complete his Master of Business Administration while working full-time.
He is an active member of AIA Canada’s Young Professionals in the Aftermarket Committee.
