Automobile Club of Southern California chief executive retires
Thomas V. McKernan, chief executive of the Automobile Club of Southern California, has retired after serving 46 years with the organization, including 21 in the top post. He was succeeded by Robert Bouttier, who previously was the club’s president and chief operating officer.
McKernan started out as a customer service representative in the Pasadena branch in 1966 and worked his way up the corporate ladder, serving as a computer programmer and chief financial officer before his appointment as CEO in 1991.
McKernan spearheaded expansion of the club. Since 1991, membership in Southern California has grown by nearly 70% to 6.2 million. McKernan also moved the organization into other states by acquiring AAA clubs in Texas, New Mexico and Hawaii in 1996. It now operates in 21 states and has 14 million members representing 30% of all AAA members in the country.
Bouttier, the new CEO, began his career as an insurance claims representative at a branch office 37 years ago.
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