SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- The Automotive Dealership Institute and the Institute for Ethical Behavior have signed an agreement that will enable ADI to incorporate the Institute for Ethical Behavior's nationally recognized ethics training into its own comprehensive four-week Automotive Finance and Insurance Management program. The agreement also allows ADI to offer the ethics certification course to dealership F&I personnel.

"Ethics and integrity are two hallmarks of the way the automotive industry needs to be run on a daily basis," said Alan Algan, ADI CEO. "By integrating the Institute for Ethical Behavior's course material into our program, our students will reap the benefits of unparalleled ethics training developed by the authority on the subject. The Institute's Ethics Certification for Automotive Finance Professionals is a requirement for graduation for automotive marketing majors at Northwood University's Midland, Mich., campus, and it will be a requirement for our graduates, too. This will make our graduates more valuable to dealerships nationwide and internationally, and increase their marketability."

As part of their Ethics Certification, ADI graduates will receive monthly ethics and legal updates for a year directly from the Institute for Ethical Behavior, keeping them abreast of legislative changes that could impact the industry at large and effectively serving as continuing education.

The agreement is the latest in a series that ADI has initiated to provide its students with a cutting-edge education, and the automotive industry with the world's best-trained finance and insurance managers.

In February, ADI announced a similar agreement with the Association of Finance and Insurance Professionals (AFIP) to adopt its nationally accepted legal compliance certification program into its curriculum, and to offer that training as a stand alone module to dealership professionals. ADI also in February signed an articulation agreement with Northwood University that calls for a credit unit exchange with the prestigious private business college, which offers several degree programs in the automotive field.

"We are truly excited about joining forces with the Automotive Dealership Institute," said John Walsh, president of the Institute for Ethical Behavior. "Their training is exceptional, and their philosophy and commitment to ethical principles is refreshing. By working together, it is our hope that we can help improve the perception of the automotive industry by making it a more positive experience for consumers.

"Finance managers who are well schooled in ethics and legal compliance will command the confidence and respect of their customers and employers alike, and this will in turn translate into repeat and referral business while minimizing customer complaints and improving CSI. And most importantly to dealerships, ethical certification serves as a kind of insurance policy because showing evidence of an effective compliance and ethics program can reduce an organization's criminal liability by up to 95 percent. It is a benefit to both the dealership and its customers."

In addition to receiving a diploma from the Automotive Dealership Institute, ADI graduates will also receive certificates from the Institute of Ethical Behavior and AFIP. Such credentials will help them immensely in the placement process, and should ultimately improve industry standards.