Meet our Team of Automotive Specialists

It’s really no surprise to anyone that Faris was destined to work for Porsche, given the strong sense of foreshadowing in his early years. His very first word was “car” rather than the usual “mamma” or “dada,” and his childhood bedroom in Cedar Falls, Iowa, was plastered with car posters – Porsches, naturally! After graduating from Notre Dame, Faris spent five years in Italy before moving to Chicago and finally fulfilled his destiny by joining The Porsche Exchange in January 2004. Since working for Porsche, Faris’ passion for the brand has only gotten stronger. He is a respected emeritus member of Porsche Cars North America’s Sales and Marketing Roundtable. When not at The Exchange, Faris enjoys traveling and riding his motorcycles. Sadly, he no longer uses car posters as wallpaper in his bedroom.

Monico is a graduate of Lewis University with a Aviation Flight Management and Business Degree. As an enthusiast for all things mechanical and a people person, the car business was a sure fit. He started at the Chevrolet Exchange in 2011 and was promoted to Preowned Manager after only a couple of years. With a fine attention to detail, he takes pride in maintaining his Preowned Porsches to the highest standard. Having always had an admiration for the speed and sophistication of Porsches he was excited to begin as a preowned manager for the Porsche Exchange in 2014. In his free time, Monico still enjoys recreational flying, working on his classic muscle car, traveling, and spending time outdoors.

Porsche is an iconic brand and I’m thrilled to part of the Porsche Exchange team! It’s rewarding to work for a corporation that shares my progressive and forward-thinking vision, values its associates, supports the execution and management of consistent processes, and takes advantage of my high energy, positive attitude to inspire others, and create a culture that benefits employees and elevates the guest experience. I contribute my success by surrounding myself with a talented team, providing a clear vision, and supporting the philosophy of, your people are your brand. Porsche Exchange future is exciting and I look forward to creating a legendary Porsche ownership experience for our Guest and the many friendships forged along the way!

Mike began his long career at The Exchange back in 2001 when he started doing F&I work for both Porsche and Audi while they were still located in the same building in downtown Highland Park. This wasn’t his first foray into the F&I industry though, he had been doing F&I for five years previously as well. When both of the dealerships moved to their larger locations on Route 41, Mike became The Porsche Exchange’s dedicated F&I Manager, as well as in charge of overseeing the F&I operations at all of The Exchange locations. Besides loving Porsches, Mike also has a strong passion for motorcycles, he owns a 2013 BMW K1600GTL as well as a custom 2013 Harley Davidson Breakout with a 120R motor. His other hobbies include shooting pictures with his Nikon, and flying his Phantom 4 drone to get great footage of family events and local scenery.

Alyssa's love for cars began at a very young age. She and her father used to work on classic cars together. Her family also had sports cars and motorcycles as she was growing up. The enthusiasm for motorized vehicles and speed ran in the family.  Alyssa started her career as a paralegal and eventually moved into the exotic car field in 2020. Her path eventually led her to The Porsche Exchange. Her passion for the Porsche brand is unparalleled.

Vladens has been a loyal Exchange employee since 2001 when he began working as a Porter at The Saab Exchange. From there he moved to the Parts Counter and then became the Parts Manager. He joined The Porsche Exchange team in 2007 as a Service Advisor and Warranty Administrator. More recenty Vladens has been the Assistant Service Manager here and was promoted to Parts Manager in December 2014. His personal interests include a strong passion for Porsche, as well as motorcycles, skiing and traveling.

Rocco started in the car business as a salesman for the Lynch Auto Group in 1995 and was promoted to finance just a year later. This was Rocco's beginning in the Porsche world, as Lynch had a Porsche dealership at the time. Rocco then went on work at several other local Porsche dealers before being offered a job at The Porsche Exchange. Rocco has two grown children, one of which is a Senior at U.I.C. who hopes to become a dentist. His other child hopes to become a race car driver. Rocco enjoys boating, golfing and is a season ticket holder for the Chicago Bears. He hopes they can win another Superbowl in his lifetime!

Trevor has been a passionate Porsche enthusiast since he was a teenager. He began working at the Porsche Exchange in 1993, not too long after that passion was born. He is proud to have personally owned fourteen different Porsche models over the years, including 911’s, Boxster’s, Cayman’s, Cayenne’s and Macan’s. One of the highlights of his career in the Porsche world was getting to visit the Porsche factory in Germany and then driving a 911 on the Autobahn. When not assisting customers in their Porsche journey, he enjoys spending time with his family.

Steven is an Ireland native. He moved to Chicago in 2016. Steven spent the first part of his career performing with bands around Europe and the United Kingdom. He grew up attending rallies on the weekends with his dad and grandfather. Racing also was an integral part of his childhood. Steven started his journey in the automotive industry with Audi. He joined the Porsche Exchange team in 2020.

At the tender age of five, Peter found his love of automobiles to be somewhat insatiable, collecting and building an inordinate amount of models. His favorites of course, were Porsche. His thirst for knowledge of all types of vehicles continued as he gravitated towards racing bicycles, eventually moving into motorcycles by the age of fourteen. After attending DePaul and Northwestern University, Peter was involved with BMW Motorrad for nearly eighteen years before joining The Porsche Exchange in March of this year. As a lifelong enthusiast, and owner of two previous GT cars, it's no surprise that he finally feels at home among our Porsche family. Peter's interests include exploring new restaurants within Chicago, traveling, music, hockey, soccer, and riding any one of his six motorcycles.

Nick is a graduate of Southern Illinois with a Management and Marketing degree. As a Porsche enthusiast he decided to join The Porsche Exchange in the fall of 2008 and has worked as a Certified Porsche Sales Professional since. Nick lives in Chicago and when he is not at The Exchange he enjoys spending time with family and friends and attending local sporting events.

William first started in the German automotive industry in 2016.  He joined his dream manufacturer of Porsche in 2020 and shortly after became a member of The Porsche Exchange’s team in 2022.  William is a native New Englander and graduated cum laude from Harvard University with a Bachelor of Liberal Arts in Extension Studies with a concentration in government.  In his free time, you can find him with his wife and two dogs or driving his Gentian Blue 718 Cayman S to various Porsche-inspired automotive events. 

Paul is able to say that he truly knows Porsches both inside and out. He began his career at UTI and graduated with a degree in Automotive and Diesel Technology. From there he accepted to Porsche Technology Apprenticeship Program (PTAP) and graduated as a Porsche Technician. Paul put that degree to good use for the next seven years at another local Porsche dealer. They admired Paul’s determination and brand knowledge, and offered him a position on their sales team. Paul became a top salesman and continued to work there for seven years before moving to The Porsche Exchange. In his free time, Paul enjoys playing and watching sports, spending quality time with his family and friends, as well as babysitting his three-year-old niece.

Michael Semersky has been a Porsche enthusiast since he was very young. With his father taking ownership of The Porsche Exchange 1976, he has literally grown up around the Porsche brand. In the past few years, Michael was named one of the Top 100 Porsche Sales Representatives in the world. What he loves most about his job is the happiness that comes from helping someone find the car of their dreams. He prides himself on his passion for Porsche, extensive knowledge of the brand, and exceptional customer service. Michael's interests include cars, skiing, reading, fitness and motorcycles. He has been happily married to his wife Roxanne since 1997 and in his spare time he enjoys spending quality time with his family and two young daughters.

Alex graduated from Illinois State with a Marketing degree back in 2010 and quickly began following his dream of working in the automotive industry. He has been a part of the Porsche Exchange team since 2016, where he has been dedicated to ensuring that our customers have an exceptional Porsche sales and ownership experience. When he is not helping customers, he enjoys building and driving drift cars, as well as racing motorcycles. 

Sarantis (Sam) Stamatis is a 22 year old who is finishing a degree in economics and finance. He has loved Porsche ever since a young age and has always wanted to work in the car industry in some way. His favorite Porsche is the 964.

• At The Porsche Exchange since 1992
• A Certified Porsche Technician since 1985

Working in the automotive industry runs in Casey Lewis's blood, as his father is the Service and Parts Director at our sister dealership, The Audi Exchange. So suffice it to say, Casey has learned from the best. He has spent numerous years in the industry already, and this is his first year as a part of The Porsche Exchange team. He is now thrilled to work alongside a brand that is performance-driven and cutting-edge. When not at work, Casey enjoys hanging out with his dog Hercules, and watching his favorite Chicago sports teams (Bulls, Bears, Cubs and Hawks) play.

For over 9 years, Samuel has been a noteworthy leader in the car industry. As a Service Consultant, he shares his vast knowledge of the brand with all of our customers. Samuel is very passionate not only about Porsche, but in continually improving the customer experience here at the Exchange. In his free time, he enjoys soccer and working out. 

I’ve been in the automotive industry since 1995 and originally started my career as a technician, but my passion for customer service pushed me to the Service Consultant role. I’m so thankful to be part of the Porsche Exchange team and love the prestige that's associated with Porsche. I look forward to creating outstanding Porsche ownership for our guests and can’t wait to see what the future brings.

Andrew began his automotive career in 2016 as a Business Development Manager for a local automotive group. He's had a passion for anything with a drivetrain from an early age. On a typical day at the Exchange, you'll be able to find Andrew helping out guests bringing their vehicles in for maintenance. Andrew enjoys watching movies and sports, modifying cars and motorcycles, and hiking.

Christian has always been a car enthusiast for the majority of his life, similar to his father whose been working as a service consultant for 30 years. He has been gradually climbing the ladder over the last few years and has arrived at the Porsche Exchange. He plans to continue on his journey to better the customer experience here at the Exchange and make the Porsche name proud.

Neal is an avid vintage car enthusiast and 20 year Porsche Club of America member.  He is an HPDE instructor and spent several years racing Porsches in sprint and endurance events.  He currently owns a 1987 944 Turbo with which he competes in national and regional concours and can otherwise be found fixing and restoring old cars when time allows.

Ron has owned an air cooled 911 for over 40 years and has been a Porsche Club of America member for 28 years. In PCA, Ron has participated in regional and national Concour competitions as well as auto cross with his classic  911. He has toured the Porsche factory in Zuffenhausen, attended the 24 Hours of LeMans and both Rennsport Reunion 5 and 6. In 2021, Ron’s 911 was part of Luftgekuhlt 7. He is a former business to business magazine publisher in the food industry. Ron’s goal at the Exchange is to exceed guest expectations at every personal contact level.

Luis' interest in high performance cars started at a very early age. He became a Porsche owner in 1974 and joined PCA (Porsche Club of America) in 1975. Many Porsches have come and gone in his garage, and over 48 years of being faithful to the brand means he could write a Porschepedia based on all the knowledge and experience he's gained. Luis retired in 2009 after spending decades in corporate America focusing on Business Development. He recently came out of retirement to work at Porsche Exchange as a Service Experience Specialist. He refers to his position at Porsche Exchange as his dream job since it combines his passion for the brand and engaging with customers. The love of Porsche is a family affair for Luis, and you can often find him and his eldest son, Luis Jr, racing their cars together on tracks across the United States. Luis’s wife, Vilma, and their three children (two grandchildren) spent many weekends throughout their childhood in Minnesota cheering him on at PCA drivers education, rallies, concourses, and other events, where Luis got to happily share his love for Porsche with the community.

I was a Podiatrist for 41 years and retired in May of 2022. After one month of retirement I asked myself what’s next. So when the opportunity came to work at the Porsche Exchange  I thought what better to drive fantastic cars and be around high quality people. I’m a lucky man!

Jimmy graduated from Lincoln Tech in 2001. He has experience in body work and restoring classics. Before starting at the Porsche Exchange, he worked for the Audi Exchange for 14 years as a service technician. As much as he enjoys the new technology of all the vehicles, the classics are still his favorite.

• At The Porsche Exchange since 2001
• A Certified Porsche Technician since 1989
• An automotive technician since 1987

• At The Porsche Exchange since 2004
• A Certified Porsche Technician since 2004

Juan has been with the Porsche Exchange for a couple of years. His light-hearted spirit puts a smile on his colleagues' faces. Juan looks forward to all the GT cars that come through the shop for service.

• At The Porsche Exchange since 2011
• A Certified Porsche Technician since 2011
• An automotive technician since 2008

• At The Porsche Exchange since 2015
• A Certified Porsche Technician since 2015

Jesus graduated from Universal Technical Institute in 2020. He has been in the automotive industry for 5 years and is excited for what the future holds here at the Porsche Exchange. Jesus' favorite Porsche is the 991 Targa GTS. It has both the looks and the performance!

I have been here for a year and am proud to say the employees are very welcoming and everyone works as a team. I feel like I can show my full potential here at the Exchange and also experience new challenges to sharpen my skills as a technician. From day one, I felt I belonged here at Porsche and I continue to push the limit of my skills not just to better myself, but also for this wonderful dealership. I can't wait to see what the future holds for me here at the Exchange. 

Matthew is from Bayamón, Puerto Rico. He traveled in 2015 to the US and started his education as an automotive technician. Since he was a kid, he always had a love for cars. Matthew worked for an independent shop initially, and when he saw the opportunity to work for the Porsche Exchange, he could not pass it up. Matthew could not imagine a day without working on these breathtaking cars.

Harrison’s passion for the Porsche brand started around the young age of six.  Back then, if you had asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up, he would have told you, he dreamt of working for Porsche. 14 years later, his dream became a reality.  Across America, only 20% of workers are extremely passionate about their jobs, Harrison is happy to be part of that 20%.  Having the ability to admire the cars daily, let alone drive them, makes working at the Porsche Exchange so much more than a job. 

Lucas, who was originally an East coast native, moved with his family to Illinois in 2013. Growing up, he had a neighbor with two 911 Turbos, which is where his first love of Porsche began. He landed his first role at another Porsche dealer in 2020 and is excited to be a part of the Porsche Exchange team! Lucas resides on Chicago’s Northside and enjoys attending Cubs games & the city’s restaurant scene. 

Christina's passion for cars began from her childhood when she and her dad spent each weekend at classic car shows and racing events. She has always dreamed of working in the automotive industry, and her position at Porsche fuels her passion for cars and enthusiasm for customer service. Chrisitna is currently in school for Accounting and wishes to continue her career here at The Exchange!

Hayden’s passion for cars stems from his environment of growing up around Porsches and sports cars. He is quite fond of speed and the sound of an engine. The privilege of working in an environment surrounded by these cars everyday is the best part about working at the Porsche Exchange.

Jamie joined the team about 10 years ago as a driver and has since moved his way to the counter. He's now a Porsche Brand Ambassador and a cornerstone at Road America Events. Off the clock, you can find Jamie spending time with his family. He enjoys camping and hunting.

Crystal joined the Porsche Exchange team in 2016. She is proud to stand behind the Porsche brand and products. She believes our products are the best in the automotive industry and likes to go above and beyond to ensure our customers receive the best service possible. She has been a car enthusiast since she can remember, thanks to her dad. In her spare time, she enjoys driving her 986 Boxster S, spending time with her bunny, and reading.

Jix has been a staple in The Exchange timeline. He has been with the company for over 35 years. When he's not assisting with classic Porsches, you can see him around Chicagoland bowling and cheering on the Cubs and Bears. Go Cubs Go! 

Being a part of the Porsche community is a thought Scott never would've conceived while growing up wrenching on cars. When he isn't drooling over all of the incredible specs that roll through our renowned dealership, he occupies his time photographing cars and enjoying live music.

Larry has been with The Exchange since 2003 where he started with Audi. Eventually, he moved over to the Porsche side of the Exchange Family. Larry’s been a car enthusiast since he was a kid, so it’s only natural he ended up being a Porsche Certified Parts Specialist. In his free time, he enjoys going to baseball games, friend/family get-togethers and playing with every dog he can.

Joe has been in the automotive industry since 2000 and has been part of the Porsche Exchange team since 2007. He has had a huge passion for Porsche since an early age and was hooked when he saw his first 930 with a whale tale! He enjoys spending time with his family, camping, collecting diecast, and taking his 996 on adventurous drives.