About
Built by the industry.
Fixed Ops Roundtable is where the people who run automotive service and parts departments go to hear from each other. Ted Ings started it at the Center for Performance Improvement in New York with one rule that has never changed: bring the best people in fixed ops to one table, and let them talk.
By the numbers
34
Virtual events
Multi-day Roundtables online. Free to attend, every one.
29
In-person pop-ups
The Roundtable in the room, since the first table in May 2019.
68,000
Attendees
Across virtual and in-person events since 2019.
36
Retail Advisory Board
Industry leaders at the table, shaping every agenda.
1,700+
Videos on demand
Every panel, keynote, and interview, free to watch.
4.1M
Views
Across the library, and counting.
295
Podcast episodes
The FOR-CAST, weekly since December 2020.
35
Certified dealerships
Recognized by the program since it launched in 2023.
The Roundtable
Built by the industry. Free for the industry. No paywall.
No cost. No barriers.
Since 1981
In retail automotive for more than four decades.
NADA Show
Five-time NADA Convention speaker.
CPI
Founder and president, Center for Performance Improvement.
The Founder
About the founder.
When I started the Fixed Ops Roundtable in May of 2019, I was tired of seeing fixed operations treated like a cost center. The service drive, the parts counter, the body shop — these are where the relationships actually live. Where customers come back. Where dealers make their margin.
We've grown into 34 virtual events, 29 in-person pop-up events, 68,000 attendees, and a Retail Advisory Board of 36 of the best operators in the industry. And we've stayed true to the original promise: we never charge for a ticket. No barriers between the people who run fixed ops and the people teaching them what's next.
That's what the Roundtable is. Everyone's welcome at the table.
The team.
Ted Ings is the Founder and President of the Fixed Ops Roundtable® and a lifelong automotive professional whose career began in 1981 at Fette Ford in Clifton, New Jersey. With more than four decades in retail automotive, Ted founded the Fixed Ops Roundtable in 2019 to create a platform dedicated to education, collaboration, and advancing the future of Fixed Operations.
Sarah Vantine is Vice President of the Fixed Ops Roundtable, where she brings together dealership leaders, automotive executives, and technology innovators to tackle the real challenges shaping fixed operations. Her work is grounded in curiosity, connection, and a constant focus on what’s next for automotive retail.
Angie Pascotto
Angie Pascotto is the Director of Partner Success at the Fixed Ops Roundtable, where she builds strategic partnerships and creates meaningful experiences that connect automotive leaders and drive innovation. With a background in dealership leadership and automotive retail, she brings a practical, relationship-first approach to helping partners and dealers succeed.
Jean Ings
Jean Ings is a writer and creative who brings a storyteller’s perspective to her work with the Fixed Ops Roundtable. With a BA in Screenwriting and more than four years with the Roundtable, Jean has expanded her role to include panel moderation, live interviews, content development, and more. At the Fixed Ops Roundtable, Jean helps uncover and share the experiences, insights, and best practices shaping fixed operations, connecting the people and ideas that are driving automotive retail forward.
Gaia Cooper
Gaia Cooper is a writer, graphic designer, and content developer for the Fixed Ops Roundtable. After graduating from SUNY Purchase College, Gaia jumped right into the automotive industry by combining creative storytelling with visual design to produce compelling content for the field.
Isabella Stephens
Isabella Stephens is a Co-Host and the Marketing Director of the Fixed Ops Roundtable as well as a graduate student at Northwood University’s Richard DeVos Graduate School of Management. Through the Roundtable, she helps bring industry conversations to life through content, interviews, events, and behind-the-scenes storytelling while connecting with automotive leaders across the country. She is passionate about building relationships, sharing new ideas, and bringing a next-generation perspective to the future of fixed operations and automotive retail.
Steven Hackbarth
Steven Hackbarth is a marketing student at Northwood University with dealership experience and a passion for creating engaging content. After winning Season 1 of the Fixed Ops Roundtable intern reality competition, Steven joined the team, bringing his energy and curiosity to dealer interviews and the Certified Dealer Program.
Laney Jakeway
Laney Jakeway is the Marketing Design Director for The Fixed Ops Roundtable and is a graduate student at Northwood University’s Richard DeVos Graduate School of Management. A skilled photographer and content creator, she joined the Roundtable after a run on Ted Ings’ The Intern, where she earned runner-up in the show’s 1st season.
Katrina Ness
Katrina Ness is a Co-Host of the Fixed Ops Roundtable and recent graduate of Northwood University. During her time at Northwood, she worked to connect the Fixed Ops Roundtable with the university through various campus activities, while serving as General Chair of the Auto Show and host of Season 1 of Ted Ings’ The Intern.
Vanessa Collins
Vanessa Collins is a Co-Host of the Fixed Ops Roundtable, where she brings a next-generation perspective to conversations across the automotive industry. A graduate of America’s Automotive University, Northwood, Vanessa holds an MBA and currently works for Lithia & Driveway, America’s leading automotive group. In her role, she helps drive performance and operational improvement across 32 dealerships throughout Texas, Virginia, and Tennessee.
Want a seat at the table?
The Roundtable runs on people from the industry. If you’re interested in joining the team or getting involved behind the scenes, tell us a little about yourself and we’ll reach out.