Management

Auto Distributors is composed of a core group of dedicated, experienced, and innovative professionals, united by a common commitment to ethics, honesty, integrity, and performance. Our entrepreneurial culture fosters open communication amongst members of our team, bringing together knowledge and insights across industries and business lines.

Steve Schneider

» Chairman & CEO

AutoDistributors Inc. Chairman & CEO Steven B. Schneider.
Steve Schneider

Steven  Schneider entered the automotive industry intent upon contributing through social responsibility with ideas like fuel efficient vehicles, advanced technologies and affordable transportation. He is actively involved in the community and when he lost his home during the California wildfires of 2017 he founded his own nonprofit corporation called Homes 4 the Homeless, renting tiny, transitional container homes and apartments to the homeless.

He is recognized and respected internationally for his contributions and personal dedication to the research, engineering, integration and development of electric drive systems for the newly emerging electric vehicle and alternative fuel transportation industry. In 2010, he was named the newest member to the Bay Area Council, business leaders committed to promoting the health and well-being of the Bay Area with a focus on building the economic relationships with China. He has a unique background in cross border business and is currently the President of Tianyi Group of China (investment division) to invest substantially in the bay area and USA.

Schneider joined ZAP as Chief Executive Officer and Director in 2002 helping raise nearly $1 billion from several of his successful businesses at the same time successfully listing ZAP on the NYSE.

He is the founder of Voltage Vehicles which today represent the core of ZAP’s business operations. Schneider’s education and early career in the automotive industry include positions with specialty and fuel efficient automobiles offered by Honda, VW, Renault, Ford, Smart and DeLorean. He has unique expertise in automotive marketing, sales, distribution, logistics, distribution, finance, engineering integration, homologation and operations.

In 2011 Mr. Schneider completed a 51% acquisition of Jonway Automobile. This purchase was first time in history that any foreign company has taken a controlling interest in a Chinese Automobile Manufacturing Plant. In January 2012 Mr. Schneider completed the acquisition of 100% of Aptera Electric Car with Jonway Group, allowing its very advanced technology throughout all of the manufacturing operations.

Schneider holds several patents with several more pending. He has represented the automotive industry on TV and radio programs and at media events and lectures frequently in trade and business association and university venues on management and advanced automotive technologies. He has served on the board of directors for a number of energy and manufacturing companies and recently forged close relationships with business opportunities in Asia. Currently, he is Chairman of Auto Distributors Inc. an international new energy vehicle distribution company as well as Vice Chairman of Samyang Optics. Co., LTD of South Korea. Schneider was appointed a Senior Advisor for Economic Development to Hangzhou, one of China’s “Innovation Zones.” He is an officer of Better World International, developing EV infrastructure partnerships in China.

Jeff Schneider

» President

Jeff co-founded Auto Distributors together with his brother Steve Schneider and continues to oversee the company’s US distribution since its inception. As President for the US Operation, he helped & revolutionized electric and alternative car distribution process to mainstream America.

Jeff graduated from the University of California Davis with a degree in Economics.  He has 20 years experience in the automotive field plus auto and real estate finance. Always interested in alternative energies, Jeff  has spent the last 6 years working with different technologies for the purpose of clean energy transportation ranging from CNG to magnetic motor generation. Three years international relations and cross border cooperation with China especially in the field of electric transportation and alternative fuels. Besides working in clean energy, he plans to assist Chinese investors with purchasing commercial and residential real estate in California on a personal level.

At Auto Distributors, Jeff’s goal is to re-imagine the way people buy cars, forgoing the traditional dealership model in favor of stylish, consumer-focused showrooms.

Jeff spearheads distribution initiatives out of Santa Rosa headquarters. Besides spending time with his family,  Jeff enjoys water skiing, weight lifting, and tinkering.

Chien Chih Liu

»Director of Auto Distributor’s China Operations

Autodistributors Inc.'s Chien Chih Liu, Director of China Operations
Chien Chih Liu, Director of China Operations for Autodistributors Inc.

Mr. Chien-Chih Liu has significant expertise across a broad spectrum of cross-border transactions and strategic situations, including exclusive sales, and restructuring in United States and the Greater China region. These experiences covered seven industries: real estate, bio-medical, tourism, automobile, consumer goods, logistics, and financial sectors (especially M&A).

Mr. Liu served as the Chief Executive Officer of Rotoblock Corp from November 2011 to January 20, 2012. Mr. Liu served as the Chief Executive Officer of Rotoblock Corp., from November 1, 2007 to April 30, 2011 and served as its President. Prior to joining Rotoblock, Mr. Liu served for more than five years in California as Vice President for Tianyi Group, a multi-billion dollar conglomerate involved in manufacturing of automotive components and commercial equipment with over six subsidiaries. Mr. Liu served a variety of roles with Tianyi Group, which operates several factories in China including to assist with development and implementation of Tianyi Group’s long-term strategy. He is now the residing President of Tianyi Investment Group. In this role, Liu is responsible for market and revenue growth in Tianyi Investment Group representing China. Mr. Liu is also the newly appointed Chief Executive Officer and Director for Auto Distributors of China. He possesses particular knowledge and experience in automobile and manufacturing industry that strengthens the Board of Directors’ collective qualifications, skills, and experience.

An industry veteran, Lui has more than 15 years of experience in international trade, marketing and manufacturing China, Asia Pacific and North America. He also managed the subsidiary Hikom Gottell, one of the largest manufacturers of air conditioning in China. Hikom is the sole sponsor of the Shanghai Sharks Professional Basketball team, for which Yao Ming played before being recruited to the NBA.

Born in Taiwan, Mr. Lui immigrated with his family to the USA at the age of 10. Fluent in English and several Chinese dialects, Mr. Liu earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley. Liu is a natural born entrepreneur and over his career, has started several start-ups. He has also heavily invested in real estate in the United States and China.

Mark Abdou

» Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary

Mark AbdouMark Abdou. Mark is Head of Mergers and Acquisitions for Tianyi Investment Group, the U.S. investment arm of Tianyi Group, a multi-billion dollar diversified holding company with operations covering a broad spectrum of activities including financial services, manufacturing, energy, real estate development, telecommunications, trading and services.

Mark is the founding and Managing Partner of Libertas Law Group. Libertas is a boutique law firm comprised of seasoned deal-makers specializing in corporate, corporate securities and finance and entertainment & emerging technology. The firm excels at offering clients an in-depth legal expertise with hands-on comprehensive and effective legal and business strategies and solutions. The firm was founded to provide clients with unprecedented level of legal and counsel suitable for rapid growth companies.

Mark has been practicing law for more than 12 years and brings an entrepreneurial and legal focus to clients by providing counsel on a broad range of business issues ranging from financings, restructuring to investor relations and business development. Mark has spent his career helping companies through the process of building their organizations by providing access to an impressive list of contacts, helping management with operational, financial and legal issues, and bringing creative and tailored legal solutions to meet short and long term business objectives.

Mark assists both private and public companies in various industries, such as green technology, health & wellness, real estate, media and technology and entertainment. His expertise includes, initial public offerings, alternative public offerings, reverse mergers, mergers & acquisitions, venture capital & private equity financings, registered offerings, SEC compliance, corporate compliance & governance and general corporate matters.

Mark also serves as a director of NMS Capital Securities, a registered broker-dealer and diversified financial services firm providing investment advisory, investment management and investment banking services.

Mark serves on the Board of Directors of ZAP Jonway and Auto Distributors, Inc., a manufacturer and distributor of gasoline and electric vehicles.

Prior to starting Libertas, Mark served as General Counsel and Sr. Vice President of GTX Corp, a technology company that develops products that use location-transmitting technology platforms for integration into a wide variety of consumer products.

Prior to that, Mark was a partner at Richardson & Patel, LLP, and also practiced at Greenberg Traurig, LLP.

Mark received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Southern California in 1996. He received his Juris Doctorate from Boalt Hall School of Law at the University of California, Berkeley in 1999. Mr. Abdou also received a Masters Degree in Spiritual Psychology at the University of Santa Monica in 2010.

Mark was co-chair of the financing committee for the Voices of Uganda project Voices in Harmony. Voices of Uganda is a documentary telling the story of a cross-cultural collaboration between Ugandan teenagers and Los Angeles based creative professionals. Mark is also a founding director of Project Play. Project PLAY! was founded to enrich the lives of today’s youth by supplying schools and other organizations with the resources necessary to promote the creative and physical growth of tomorrow’s leaders.