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Kyle Birch reflects on 29 years of relationships

When Kyle Birch joined AmeriCredit Financial in 1997, the company’s founder and CEO Clifton Morris urged Kyle to move to Fort Worth, where the headquarters were located. But Kyle declined. He didn’t think he’d be working for the auto finance company that would become GM Financial for more than two years.

Almost 29 years later, Kyle, the President of North America Operations for GM Financial, is wrapping up a long and successful career with the same company and will retire at the end of this year. “I still don’t live in Fort Worth, but it is the best city in Texas,” he said with a chuckle.

Kyle spent the early part of his career in the banking industry, including 12 years at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the government’s bank regulator. He assumed he would return to banking when the right opportunity came along.

Instead, after joining AmeriCredit as the Vice President of Dealer Services, he became part of a smart, ambitious group of leaders who transformed the small nonprime lender into the international auto finance leader it is today.

‘The best thing that could have happened for our company’

At AmeriCredit, Kyle was instrumental in helping to create the company’s Strategic Alliance group and its first National Credit Center, two operational upgrades that spurred the company’s early growth. He also partnered with Chase Auto and led operational and design efforts to establish Dealertrack and roll out the revolutionary new platform to the AmeriCredit dealer network, helping the industry evolve from pen and paper to digital transactions.

Kyle mentored many of the young managers who are now GM Financial’s senior leaders. As his own responsibilities grew, he helped steer AmeriCredit through the Great Recession of 2008-2009, and he was among the key leaders involved in the sale of AmeriCredit to General Motors in 2010.

“I think the sale to GM is the best thing that could have happened to our company because of the growth opportunities,” Kyle said.

Relationships have kept Kyle motivated for 29 years

Kyle was integral in developing critical areas of GM Financial’s business, including credit, sales, funding, Customer Enterprise, and the company’s digital and marketing efforts. He has served in his current position as President of North America Operations since 2018, providing leadership, strategy and vision for Dealer Services, Marketing, Customer Experience and Servicing in the U.S. and Canada, helping transform GM Financial into one of the world's largest captive finance companies.

The day-to-day relationships with his co-workers and with the company’s dealers and customers are what kept Kyle firmly in place for nearly 30 years. He has helped the people he supervised grow into company leaders. He's seen them grow their families and have children. He’s watched interns become senior leaders, buildings constructed and branches evolve.

And he has done it all with integrity and empathy, contributing to a company culture that stands as a legacy to his people-first leadership style.

“To live through the ups and downs of our professional lives and our personal lives while knowing that those you work with will be in your corner on the other side – that’s special,” Kyle said. “You don’t have that at every company.”

One of the most influential voices in the industry

Kyle has been one of the auto finance industry’s most influential voices. From October 2023 to October 2024, he served as chairman for the American Financial Services Association (AFSA), the primary trade association for the consumer credit industry.

His reputation as a thought leader, his decades-long stewardship of GM Financial’s U.S. and Canada operations, and his pre-GM Financial experience in banking regulation with the FDIC made him an ideal fit for the role of AFSA board chair and continuing member. He was also named Auto Finance Executive of the Year in 2021 at the Used Car Week Conference.

Kyle delivered speeches and presentations at numerous universities and industry conferences, including the keynote address at the 2024 meeting between AFSA and the National Automobile Dealers Association. In previous years, he served as AFSA treasurer and as chair and vice chair of AFSA’s Vehicle Finance Board, further cementing his reputation beyond the walls of GM Financial.

Leadership through listening

Other indicators of Kyle's influence are the commendations he’s received from his peers. Industry-wide leadership is an impressive feat, but it’s equally challenging to be an excellent leader for those you work alongside most closely.

Through each of the roles he’s held, Kyle learned that listening and communication are inextricably linked to leadership.

“Listen to your team members, to your leaders, to those on the front lines that are talking to your customers every day,” he said. “That’s a lesson I wish I had learned earlier in my career; it makes all the difference. Everyone benefits from becoming better listeners.” For Kyle, listening well unlocked more of his potential as a communicator and, ultimately, a leader.

Leadership requires an innate selflessness that shines through in the way that Kyle speaks. It’s a trait that makes him personable and down to earth. “You work hard as a leader to develop people throughout your career, and you want better results for them than you even had for yourself,” he said.

The lessons he learned over the years are valuable, but the relationships he made with the people who taught him those lessons are even more so.

People at the center

Many of Kyle’s proudest moments are not about him at all, but about watching the growth of the company and the people he’s known for almost three decades.

“I enjoyed being around people who had a lot of ambition, wanted to be successful and had a lot of fun doing it,” he said. “I began working with many of them over 25 years ago, and I’ve loved watching their growth over time and seeing where they are within the company now.”

He also mentioned the special pride in working alongside individuals that he deeply admires. The late Clifton Morris and retired President and CEO Dan Berce stand out to him as individuals who embodied compassionate leadership, and they served as trusted mentors and friends. 

That same trust is a common attribute of his relationship with President and CEO Susan Sheffield. While initially working in separate areas of the business, they worked more closely when she became the company’s Chief Financial Officer, and closer again when she became the Chief Executive Officer, he said. “We’ve always been able to have an open dialogue, and I’ve always felt comfortable sharing ideas and opinions with her. She is someone I greatly admire.”

Ready for the next chapter

Kyle now passes the torch to his successor, the new President of North America Operations Jonas Hollandsworth, with an enormous amount of confidence. “There was never a doubt in my mind,” he said. "I know what Jonas brings to the table: He works well with dealers and team members, and he’s got a great team around him who will only make him better.”

Knowing his organization is left in Jonas’ capable hands, Kyle looks forward to the future. Besides “a little bit” more golf, his retirement agenda includes visiting long-awaited travel destinations with his wife and daughters.

He’s not ready to fully close the door, though, as he plans to stay plugged in to the auto finance industry. Even in his retirement, Kyle’s passion still lies with people.

“This industry has been so good to me,” he said. “I want to give back some of the benefits and lessons I’ve learned and help other people – not just at GM Financial, but in the industry. Hopefully I can do that.”

With 29 years of knowledge and experience, he’s confident that his insight will be invaluable for startups and for those just beginning their journey in the business.

The run is not over yet; he has a packed schedule and a handful of work trips left before the final curtain call in December. In these last few months, Kyle is taking the time to thank the people that he’s worked with and grown alongside.

“Some of my best friends are dealers,” he said. “Some of my best friends are lenders, and a lot of my best friends work here at GM Financial. It's not just a work thing; it's a personal thing for me, too.”

People are at the heart of Kyle’s leadership and legacy. Those who know him can attest to his sincerity, humor and compassion. His impact at GM Financial will be fondly remembered for years to come, and the relationships he’s cultivated will last a lifetime.

Stay tuned for more about Jonas Hollandsworth as he steps into his new role and takes the helm of North America Operations.

By Sonny Bohanan, GM Financial

Sonny Bohanan is a writer who loves telling stories and has a special passion for writing about life events that help foster inclusion. Libraries and used bookstores provide the ideal backdrop for Sonny’s penchant for reading and writing fiction.

By Tatum Grubb, GM Financial

Tatum enjoys writing as a creative outlet and a vessel for information and storytelling. Her constant struggle in the craft is avoiding the use of unnecessary words, such as “loquacious” and “verbose.” You can often find her at a football game in Aggieland, completing an escape room, or scoping out the nearest spot for some decadent cuts of sashimi.