When Jon Belmonte stepped into the role of CEO at AutoVitals in 2019, he brought with him a strong background in scaling technology companies across SaaS, e-commerce, and digital media. In a recent interview with The Software Report, Jon shared how his career experience and leadership philosophy are shaping AutoVitals’ future and how the company is helping auto repair shops embrace digital transformation.

• The Journey to AutoVitals
• Building Systems and Culture
• Lessons from Sports and Life
• Beyond the Office

The Journey to AutoVitals

Before joining AutoVitals, Jon served as CEO of ACTIVE Network, where he guided the company through its $1 billion sale to Vista Equity Partners. He co-founded and served as CEO of Spoutable, a publisher monetization platform later acquired by Proper Media. Jon then worked as CEO and Partner at Tritium Partners, a private equity firm where he helped evaluate markets, companies, and opportunities.

At Tritium, Jon and his team built a thesis around analyzing market dynamics and opportunities, and began looking for opportunities in a new market. That search led him to the automotive repair and service industry, a massive market with between 100,000 and 200,000 shops, depending on how you count them. He emphasized that auto repair shops are “showing real signs of leaning on and relying on technology, but still tons of shops using paper or Excel methods. There were no 800-pound gorillas owning the industry,” so it’s a great industry to break into.  

As Jon explored the industry in search of the right company to acquire, he consulted with experts from auto repair coaching companies like ATI and major players in the aftermarket space like  Meineke. Those conversations revealed that AutoVitals was making the strongest impact on shop success. With a strong customer success team and talented technologists, Jon knew AutoVitals was the perfect fit. 

While AutoVitals stood out as a strong investment opportunity, Jon also became deeply passionate about the independent auto repair industry itself. He saw these shop owners as embodiments of the American dream, small business owners working hard to support their families and serve their communities. That sense of purpose resonated with Jon and continues to inspire how he leads AutoVitals today.

Building Systems and Culture

Jon brought a focus on building internal systems and structure to help the company run smoothly and scale effectively, and prioritized creating a great employee experience. He wanted to make sure that the AutoVitals team had the right benefits and that there were carefully planned career paths to promote retention and job satisfaction. 

Reflecting on the company’s evolution, Jon said that the “last couple of years they have spent a lot of time making sure we’re striking the right balance of process and quality and continuing to innovate.”

With a large market opportunity, Jon sees tremendous opportunity ahead. AutoVitals has already completed one acquisition, BayIQ, and continues to explore ways to evolve, including investments in AI and enhanced data capabilities. “We want our clients to get the most out of the product and use data for improvements,” and, ultimately, ensure that proper auto repair keeps customers safer on the road.

Lessons from Sports and Life

When asked who has had a profound influence on him, Jon credits his mother, who raised him as a single parent while working as a hairdresser and waitress, instilling the values that guide him today. “I learned how to be resilient, work hard, and how to will things to happen,” he said. “And I learned the importance of relationships and developing rapport.”

Jon’s leadership approach is also shaped by his time as a college lacrosse athlete at the University of Pennsylvania, where he learned the importance of teamwork and self-awareness.

He shared, “It’s really important to know what role to play when. As a CEO, there are times in meetings where it’s important that I step forward and make decisions or course correct or whatever the case ends up being but a lot of the times it’s really important to just step back and let others step forward and drive discussions and make decisions because it’s really important that they are taking ownership of their roles.”

Jon also emphasizes keeping setbacks in perspective. “The smaller the business, the harder it is to put setbacks in context, but you have to think about it and set it aside because it probably isn’t going to shut down your business,” he said. “In sports and in business, I find that you have to make it fun.” Jon leads the AutoVitals team with this same mindset.

Beyond the Office

Outside of work, Jon is especially proud of his family’s dedication to giving back. His son founded a nonprofit called Equipped for Life, which began by collecting used sporting goods for children in need. What started as a small local effort grew into something much larger—raising more than $50,000 to build soccer fields in Haiti. Now, Jon’s two youngest daughters have joined the cause, continuing the family’s commitment to making a difference. It’s this same spirit of purpose and impact that Jon brings to his leadership at AutoVitals every day.