Michael Beam of Idemitsu Lubricants America Corporation and Hiromi Takahashi of JX Nippon Oil & Energy USA, have been appointed to CAWA's Manufacturers' Advisory Council. During the appointment process, Tom Seboldt, Chair of the Board of Directors, commented: "We are pleased that both companies' representatives will continue in our leadership through both Mike's and Hiromi's participation and contributions". "They both have participated in CAWA events and are very willing to contribute to the Association's discussions on contemporary industry issues". "We look forward to their perspectives and insights, from their vantage points, that will assist the Association in achieving its goals as an effective automotive aftermarket industry organization", continued Seboldt.

Mike Beam is a Senior Account Manager at Idemitsu Lubricants America Corporation. He has over 18 years of experience in the oil industry. He started his career with Motul USA in 2002, where he formed his foundation in the oil business, starting out as a sponsorship liaison before working his way up to National Sales Manager for Power Sports. After Motul, he worked at an oil distributor for 3 years honing his selling skills and getting a better understanding of distributors' wants and needs. From 2010 to 2020 he was part of the Total Lubricants USA Team. During his time at Total, he was a District Manager for 5 years and a Regional Manager for 5 years. He had great success selling to all types of oil markets but excelled at selling into WD type accounts. As of September, 2020 he has joined the Idemitsu team mainly focusing on auto part WD's.

Hiromi Takahashi, JX Nippon Oil & Energy USA, distributor of ENEOS, was born in Los Angeles and lived in both Japan and Taiwan while growing up. Before working with JX, he was an interpreter and scout for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He came to JX in bulk oil sales 12 years ago, transitioned to OE sales, and is currently General Manager of ENEOS aftermarket sales. In his free time, he enjoys hiking and scuba diving. His two favorite expeditions have been climbing to the base camp of Mount Everest and exploring the reefs and underwater forests at Bonaire. If you should have the pleasure of dining with Mr. Takahashi, do yourself a favor and enjoy his sommelier-certified food and wine pairing recommendations. ENEOS is the largest oil company in Japan and for decades has worked with Japan's automakers to create advanced lubricants that increase fuel economy without sacrificing power or protection.