The Automotive Industries Association of Canada has handed out its top recognition awards to two industry professionals.
Tony Canade was given the association’s highest honour with the Distinguished Service Award, while Adam Malik was recognized with the Young Leader of the Year Award, presented through the Young Professionals in the Auto Care Sector (YPA) community.
The awards acknowledge leadership at both the executive and emerging-professional levels within Canada’s auto care sector.
Distinguished Service Award
The Distinguished Service Award recognizes individuals whose service and leadership have made a lasting contribution to the growth and development of Canada’s automotive aftermarket.
Canade, this year’s winner, is chief executive officer of Newmarket Equipment Inc. He has more than 30 years of experience spanning operations, marketing, finance, and strategic growth. He co-founded Assured Automotive in 2005 and, as president and chief operating officer, he helped lead its expansion from three locations to 68 across Ontario, employing more than 900 people.
In 2017, Canade played a key role in the landmark sale of Assured Automotive to The Boyd Group, the largest transaction in Canadian collision repair history. He continued with Boyd Group as president and COO for eastern Canada before being promoted to COO of its Canadian operations, a role he held until his retirement in 2024.
In 2023, Canade acquired Newmarket Equipment Inc., where he currently serves as chief executive officer.
Canade has a long history of commitment to industry leadership and advancement. He is a past chair of AIA Canada, a past chair of CCIF, and a past director of the AIA Canada Collision Council, reflecting his long-standing commitment to leadership and industry advancement.
Young Leader of the Year
AIA Canada’s Young Professionals in the Auto Care Sector community named Adam Malik as its 2026 Young Leader of the Year.
The award recognizes professionals under 45 who demonstrate leadership, innovation and a commitment to strengthening Canada’s auto care industry.
Malik is the editor-in-chief at Turnkey Media Solutions, publisher of Auto Service World, and a 20-year veteran of the journalism industry. For nearly a decade, he has been a leading voice in the auto care sector, helming Jobber News, CARS magazine and AutoServiceWorld.com, while hosting the Auto Service World Conversations podcast.
His career spans sports and community newsrooms across Northern Alberta, as well as senior editorial roles in national legal and financial trade publications.
An advocate for the next generation of the trade, Malik serves on the Young Professionals in the Auto Care Sector committee, has been a guest speaker at Georgian College’s Automotive Business School of Canada and is an active contributor to industry dialogue on LinkedIn.
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