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Lithia & Driveway Elevates Adam Chamberlain to Chief Operating Officer

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MEDFORD, Ore., Aug. 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Lithia & Driveway (NYSE: LAD), a leader in automotive retail, has realigned organizational leadership to more efficiently realize operational potential and leverage the competitive advantages of its now completed customer ecosystem.

To achieve this, Adam Chamberlain has been promoted to Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Chris Holzshu will continue as an Executive Vice President, with both supporting LAD’s commitment to delivering best-in-class results and executing its unique growth strategy.

“Adam’s extensive experience in the automotive industry, coupled with his success leading our eastern region, positions him perfectly for this growing role,” said Bryan DeBoer, President and CEO of Lithia & Driveway. “His deep understanding of customer needs will be instrumental in driving profitability, through a more connected, convenient, and holistic experience for our customers wherever, whenever, and however they choose to interact with us.” 

Chamberlain brings a wealth of knowledge to the COO position from his 25-year career in key retail leadership roles at several large European manufacturers. In his past few years as LAD’s Chief Customer Officer (CCO) and Regional President (East Region), he has demonstrated a talent for quickly improving operational results while fostering a customer-centric culture. 

In addition, Dianna du Preez was named CCO and she will continue to build out the customer ecosystem and the company’s Driveway channel, along with after sales, to enhance our customer experience. Du Preez brings three decades of customer service experience and joined LAD in 2023 as Vice President, Driveway Operations. Previously, du Preez served as Vice President of Customer Service at Mercedes-Benz USA.

Holzshu, who has been LAD’s COO since 2019, will leverage his broad experience and success at LAD, and will serve as the Company appointee on the boards of Pinewood Technologies Group PLC and Wheels Inc. to strengthen our partnerships and leverage synergies across our customer ecosystem and focus on corporate development.

DeBoer says “I am so thankful for Chris’ contributions as COO and our continued partnership. His love for growth and success throughout his many senior roles prepares him perfectly to continue strengthening our unique ecosystem and significantly contributing to our mission of Growth Powered by People.” 

Both Chamberlain and Holzshu will continue to report directly to DeBoer. 

About Lithia & Driveway (LAD)
Lithia & Driveway (NYSE: LAD) is one of the largest global automotive retailers providing a wide array of products and services throughout the vehicle ownership lifecycle. Simple, convenient, and transparent experiences are offered through our comprehensive network of physical locations, e-commerce platforms, captive finance solutions, fleet management offerings, and other synergistic adjacencies. We deliver consistent, profitable growth in a massive and unconsolidated industry. Our highly diversified and competitively differentiated design provides us the flexibility and scale to pursue our vision to modernize personal transportation solutions wherever, whenever and however consumers desire.

Sites
www.lithia.com
www.investors.lithiadriveway.com
www.lithiacareers.com
www.driveway.com
www.greencars.com
www.drivewayfinancecorp.com

Lithia & Driveway on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/LithiaMotors
https://www.facebook.com/DrivewayHQ

Lithia & Driveway on X
https://x.com/lithiamotors
https://x.com/DrivewayHQ
https://x.com/GreenCarsHQ

Lithia & Driveway on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/lithia-motors/ 

Lithia & Driveway on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@Lithia_Motors/featured 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lithia–driveway-elevates-adam-chamberlain-to-chief-operating-officer-302211829.html

SOURCE Lithia Motors, Inc.

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CHiQ Wins AI Home Ecosystem Brand Award, Exploring New Smart Living Experiences Through AI Innovation

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BERLIN, Sept. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — CHiQ, a global smart home brand, received the AI Home Ecosystem Brand Award at IFA 2026 in recognition of its continued innovation in AI technology and smart home ecosystems. The award further highlights CHiQ’s pioneering work in AI-powered smart homes and its ongoing efforts to enhance the user experience through technological breakthrough.

Presented jointly by IDG and IFA, the award is one of the technology innovation honors closely watched by the global consumer electronics and home appliance industry during IFA. It recognizes notable advances in cutting-edge AI technology across the sector, with a focus on practical innovations and applications that contribute to industry development.

“Receiving the AI Home Ecosystem Brand Award is a recognition of CHiQ’s continued exploration of AI-powered smart homes,” said Vinson Fan, Deputy General Manager of Changhong International Brand Business Center. “The value of AI should be reflected not only in the smart features of individual products, but also in understanding users’ needs and enabling different devices and scenarios to work together naturally. CHiQ will continue to deepen the integration of AI into everyday home life, making smart home technology more responsive to users and delivering more convenient, intuitive and personalized experiences to consumers worldwide.”

At this year’s IFA, CHiQ unveiled a range of flagship AI-powered smart home products across key categories, including TVs, refrigerators, washing machines and air conditioners. The RGB MiniLED AI TV features an AI Sports Platform that expands opportunities for exercising at home, while the AI refrigerator uses AI-powered precision control technology to improve food preservation. The washing machines and air conditioners employ intelligent sensing to further optimize garment care and indoor climate control.

Beyond its products, CHiQ continues to explore the intersection of technology, culture and lifestyle. The brand has incorporated panda-inspired elements into its AI interactions to engage users in a more approachable way. Through sports partnerships such as the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup, CHiQ is also connecting its brand with sports and lifestyles familiar to European consumers, further strengthening its localized brand presence.

In recent years, CHiQ has continued to advance the development and application of AI technology, extending its AI capabilities from individual products to a broader range of home appliances and everyday scenarios while steadily strengthening its technological and product innovation capabilities. Building on this award, CHiQ will further expand the role of AI in everyday home life. Through a more open ecosystem and continued technological development, the brand aims to strengthen its global presence and bring more personalized smart living experiences to consumers worldwide.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/chiq-wins-ai-home-ecosystem-brand-award-exploring-new-smart-living-experiences-through-ai-innovation-302870186.html

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Cologne Regional Court Upholds Injunction Against AEKE for Infringing Speediance’s Registered Gym Monster Design

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Court finds AEKE’s fitness equipment infringes Speediance’s registered EU design and bars advertising, offering, or selling of the infringing equipment in Germany

SHENZHEN, China, Sept. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Shenzhen Speediance Life Tech Limited (“Speediance”), creator of the Gym Monster smart strength training system, today announced that the Cologne Regional Court (Landgericht Köln, Case No. 31 O 132/26) has upheld an interim injunction against Shenzhen Qudong Future Technology Co., Ltd. (“AEKE”) for infringing Speediance’s registered design in Germany.

Following the identification of AEKE’s disputed product at the FIBO trade fair, Speediance took prompt legal action and issued a warning letter to AEKE on April 16, 2026. On April 17, 2026, the Cologne Regional Court granted an interim injunction prohibiting AEKE from advertising, offering, or selling the disputed fitness equipment in Germany.

AEKE subsequently challenged the injunction, resulting in a hearing before the Cologne Regional Court on June 25, 2026. Following the hearing, the court upheld the interim injunction in its entirety, confirming that the original order granted on April 17, 2026 remains effective. The ruling further requires the removal of the disputed products and related marketing materials from the German market.

Speediance holds registered intellectual property for the Gym Monster and pursues intellectual property protection for its product lines in the markets where it operates. As a company built on original engineering and design, Speediance remains committed to protecting its innovations and to an industry where competition is driven by ideas, not imitation. Speediance welcomes fair competition and new ideas, but competition must take place within the framework of intellectual property protection. Speediance will continue to defend its innovations worldwide while advancing the future of smart fitness.

Speediance continues to invest in next-generation smart fitness technologies, including AI-assisted coaching, intelligent resistance systems, and personalized training experiences, with the mission to make professional-grade training more accessible.

About Speediance

Speediance is a smart fitness technology company dedicated to redefining strength training through intelligent hardware, AI-powered coaching, and connected fitness experiences. Its product portfolio includes Gym Monster, VeloNix, and Speediance Wellness+. Through continuous innovation in hardware engineering, software intelligence, and user experience design, Speediance empowers people worldwide to achieve smarter, more personalized fitness outcomes.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cologne-regional-court-upholds-injunction-against-aeke-for-infringing-speediances-registered-gym-monster-design-302868937.html

SOURCE Shenzhen Speediance Life Tech Limited

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Planet Classroom Network Welcomes Climate Scientist David W. DuBois

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Extreme Heat. Drought. Water Scarcity. New Net Zero Speaks Episode Explores Why Climate Change Is Becoming Increasingly Local

New Mexico State Climatologist David W. DuBois tells global youth audiences that understanding local climate information is becoming one of our most important tools for protecting communities and preparing for a hotter, drier future.

NEW YORK, Sept. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Planet Classroom Network and the Protect Our Planet (POP) Movement today announced a new episode of the acclaimed global series Net Zero Speaks featuring David W. DuBois, State Climatologist of New Mexico, Director of the New Mexico Climate Center, and Associate Professor at New Mexico State University.

Hosted by youth climate advocate Ivan Ransom, the episode explores one of the defining climate questions facing communities around the world:

How is climate change changing where you live—and what can communities do to prepare?

As prolonged drought, extreme heat, water scarcity, declining snowpack, dust storms, and worsening air quality reshape life across the American Southwest, DuBois explains why climate change is increasingly experienced through local impacts rather than distant global trends.

Throughout the conversation, DuBois discusses how trusted climate information, community planning, citizen science, and long-term resilience strategies can help communities adapt to a hotter, drier, and less predictable future. Drawing on decades of experience working with farmers, emergency planners, public health officials, educators, and policymakers, he explains why climate resilience begins with understanding what is happening at the local level.

A Leading Voice on Climate Resilience

David W. DuBois serves as State Climatologist of New Mexico and Director of the New Mexico Climate Center, where he leads statewide climate services that collect, analyze, and communicate weather and climate information supporting agriculture, water management, emergency preparedness, public health, and environmental planning.

He also chairs New Mexico’s Drought Monitoring Workgroup and serves as the state’s coordinator for the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow (CoCoRaHS) citizen science network, helping connect thousands of local weather observations with scientific research and public decision-making.

His work demonstrates how accurate climate information helps communities make better decisions before disasters occur rather than simply reacting afterward.

From Climate Data to Community Action

One of the episode’s central themes is the importance of turning climate science into practical action.

DuBois explains how earlier heat waves, prolonged drought, declining mountain snowpack, worsening dust storms, and increasing water stress are already changing how communities manage agriculture, public health, transportation, emergency response, and long-term water resources.

The conversation explores how improved weather monitoring networks, citizen science, early warning systems, and stronger communication between scientists and local communities can help people make better everyday decisions while preparing for increasingly frequent climate extremes.

Why Youth Voices Matter

For more than fifty episodes, Net Zero Speaks has connected youth climate leaders with many of the world’s foremost scientists, policymakers, engineers, economists, and environmental advocates.

Produced by the Planet Classroom Network in partnership with the Protect Our Planet (POP) Movement, the series gives young people direct access to the experts shaping the global transition toward a more sustainable future.

Each episode explores practical solutions, emerging challenges, and the latest scientific developments affecting climate action worldwide.

“Climate change may be global, but people experience it locally,” said C. M. (Cathy) Rubin, Founder and CEO of Planet Classroom. “David W. DuBois reminds us that better climate information, stronger communities, and informed citizens are among our most powerful tools for building resilience in a changing world.”

Watch the Episode

Net Zero Speaks with David W. DuBois premieres on the Planet Classroom Network YouTube channel.

Learn More

About Net Zero Speaks

Net Zero Speaks is Planet Classroom’s acclaimed climate interview series produced in partnership with the Protect Our Planet (POP) Movement. Through conversations between youth climate leaders and leading scientists, policymakers, innovators, and environmental experts, the series explores the solutions, challenges, and breakthroughs shaping the global transition toward a more sustainable future.

More than 50 episodes have been produced, giving young people direct access to the experts helping shape the future of our planet.

About the Protect Our Planet (POP) Movement

The Protect Our Planet (POP) Movement mobilizes young people worldwide to advance climate solutions, support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and protect threatened ecosystems.

Through education, storytelling, advocacy, and youth engagement, POP empowers the next generation to become active participants in building a more sustainable future.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/planet-classroom-network-welcomes-climate-scientist-david-w-dubois-302867621.html

SOURCE Planet Classroom Network

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