IAA: Global scale, local focus and the changing salvage market

IAA combines RB Global’s international scale, technology, and buyer network with specialist local expertise in salvage and vehicle remarketing. Its strategy for the UK and Europe centres on digitalisation, stronger links with recyclers and repairers, and helping vehicles, reusable parts and materials find their next best use.

As the salvage and vehicle remarketing sector becomes increasingly international, digital and closely connected with vehicle recycling, IAA is looking to use the wider scale of RB Global while retaining its specialist focus on damaged and lower-value vehicles.

Karl Werner, Chief Business Development Officer at RB Global, discusses IAA’s position within the group, its priorities in the UK and Europe, changing buyer behaviour, digitalisation and the growing links between remarketing, recycled parts and the circular economy.

IAA, Ritchie Bros. and RB Global

IAA is part of RB Global, alongside Ritchie Bros. and various other service companies under the RB Global umbrella; together we operate an omnichannel marketplace spanning multiple asset classes, from vehicles to heavy equipment. Each business serves different customer needs: IAA is the specialist global marketplace for salvage, damaged, and low-value vehicles, giving insurers, dealers, and buyers a dedicated platform built around that specific space, while Ritchie Bros. has a strong heritage in the commercial and industrial equipment market as the largest annual seller of industrial assets globally.

Having the financial strength of a publicly traded (NYSE: RBA and TSX: RBA), international parent company and being part of the same wider organisation gives all of our businesses the benefit of significant scale, technology, data, and global reach, while allowing each to remain focused on its own geographic region, specialist market and most importantly, our customers who we treat as partners.

IAA’s role in the wider vehicle lifecycle

IAA plays a critical role towards the end of the vehicle lifecycle, helping insurers and fleet owners efficiently remarket vehicles that have been damaged and written off, or have become surplus or aged fleet.

Our role isn’t simply about selling. We support the full process, from collection – we operate a fleet of over 120 car transport vehicles – and assessment through to remarketing and sale, connecting sellers with a global buyer network that includes repairers, recyclers, dismantlers, exporters, and other professional buyers.

Being part of RB Global gives us access to a much wider network beyond the vehicle marketplace. Many of our insurance and fleet clients don’t just manage cars; they also handle commercial vehicles, industrial assets, or heavy equipment as part of their broader operations. In that case, Ritchie Bros. can support them directly, using its expertise in commercial and industrial remarketing. This means clients benefit from a joined-up service across the full range of their assets, delivered to a consistently high standard, without working with multiple, disconnected providers.

Priorities for the UK and Europe

Our priorities center on three areas: customer experience, operational efficiency, and innovation, all underpinned by a safety-first approach across everything we do.

We want to make the entire process even simpler and faster for both sellers and buyers, continuing to invest in digital tools and marketplace technology, while also reinforcing our operational network on the ground. Innovation is central to how we operate; it allows us to keep evolving the platform and stay ahead of what the market needs.

In the UK and Europe specifically, we see significant growth opportunities to build on our scale and international buyer network, deepen our partnerships across the salvage ecosystem, and respond to changes shaping the industry, from the evolving vehicle park and repair economics to EV adoption and the growing importance of sustainability and vehicle recycling.

That said, we pride ourselves on adapting and shaping our initiatives to fit our partners’ strategies. Our goal is to make a measurable, positive impact on our partners’ bottom line every quarter.

Digitalisation and the changing vehicle marketplace

We are digital-first and continue to develop tools that give buyers richer vehicle data, greater visibility, and a more efficient way to identify and purchase vehicles, while giving sellers better insight into their inventory and remarketing performance.

For us, digitalisation means using technology and data to remove friction from the buying and selling process, reduce manual steps, speed decisions, and increase transparency at every stage. One tangible example of that shared data advantage is RB Global Insights, which turns the pricing data generated across all our auctions, including IAA’s, into market intelligence products that help insurers, dealers, and other partners benchmark values and track market trends.

But behind every tool and every data point is a team of people who understand this industry inside out, making sure the technology solves real problems.

Ultimately, the goal is to provide solutions that make the experience simpler and more informed for everyone involved. That’s where we believe digitalisation can make a genuine difference, and we want to be the company leading the way with innovation that truly helps our partners grow their businesses and improves their customers’ experience.

How buyer behaviour is changing

Buyers are becoming increasingly sophisticated and data-driven. They have access to more information than ever and demand greater transparency, speed, consistency, high-quality standards, and simple processes.

At the same time, the buyer base is becoming increasingly international. A vehicle with limited value in one market can be worth significantly more elsewhere, depending on repair costs, parts availability, local regulations, and demand. That’s one of the strengths of our marketplace: our international buyer network helps connect vehicles with the markets where they can deliver the greatest value.

For recyclers specifically, we also expect sustainability and the circular economy to grow in importance, with rising demand for reusable parts.

What structural changes mean for customers

The objective behind our broader evolution as RB Global is to build a stronger organisation with greater scale, technology, and reach. For customers, what matters is that this translates into tangible benefits: better platforms and processes, stronger buyer networks, improved operational capabilities, and greater access to markets.

At the same time, we recognise that change needs to be managed carefully. Our priority has always been continuity of service, ensuring any transformation strengthens the customer experience without disrupting the day-to-day relationship they have with our teams.

One of the most impactful changes we have made in the UK is our joint venture with LKQ to form LKQ SYNETIQ. LKQ SYNETIQ sources vehicles from our IAA auctions (and other auctions) and operates one of the largest parts dismantling and distribution businesses in the UK. We see this as a game-changing innovation to improve recycled parts quality, availability and distribution to the repair network, improving customer experiences and helping drive down repair costs.

Moving beyond the traditional salvage auction model

Perhaps the biggest misconception is that IAA is simply a traditional salvage auction business. We see ourselves as much more than that, a technology-enabled global marketplace and vehicle lifecycle partner, connecting sellers and buyers and supporting the movement of vehicles through the remarketing and recycling ecosystem.

Being part of RB Global also brings real advantages: IAA continues to have its own expertise, people, and technology, while gaining access to greater scale, investment, and a truly global network. This includes valuable synergies with Ritchie Bros, for example, supporting clients whose needs extend beyond vehicles into commercial and industrial assets. It’s this combination, deep local expertise backed by global reach, that allows us to keep investing specifically in the UK and European salvage market. I summarize it as “Glocal” – think global and act local…

What success looks like over the next few years

Success means continuing to be the partner our sellers trust to maximise the value and efficiency of their vehicle remarketing process, while making it easier for buyers to find and purchase the right vehicles. That means an industry that moves faster, is more transparent, and creates more value at every stage, for insurers, for buyers, and for the environment.

It also means continuing to invest in technology, data, operational capabilities, and our people, because the two go hand in hand, not one replacing the other.

More broadly, we want to play an important role in a vehicle ecosystem that is becoming increasingly circular, connected, and international, helping vehicles, parts, and materials find their next best use through smarter reuse and reman.

Collaboration across the vehicle recycling ecosystem

Collaboration is absolutely critical. No single company can shape the future of this industry alone; our relationships with insurance partners, recyclers, repairers, fleets, buyers, and technology providers give us insight into what’s changing and where the market is heading, while also pushing us to challenge ourselves and improve how we operate.

Industry media also plays an important role, creating a platform for those conversations and helping the sector share knowledge, raise standards, and build trust across the ecosystem.

Ultimately, we want to be part of that conversation, not simply responding to changes in the industry but working with our partners to lead the way and help shape what comes next with innovation and process improvements.

About Karl Werner

Karl Werner, Chief Business Development Officer at RB Global, looks after global M&A activity and oversees the Company’s International Auto businesses outside of North America, currently spanning the UK and Australia.

Karl joined the Company in September 1996, 30 years ago, as a Ritchie Bros. Territory Manager for the Olympic Peninsula and Alaska and has since held various senior roles across the organization over the last three decades.

In 1999, he was appointed to Regional Manager for the Northwest US, and in 2004 transferred to the Company’s corporate head office as Senior Manager, Strategic Projects. In 2005, he was appointed to Divisional Manager, Auction Operations, and in 2008 became VP of Auction Operations, a role he held until October 2013, when he became Chief Auction Operations Officer. In 2014, he took on the additional responsibilities of Managing Director for the Middle East, Africa and India.

Prior to his brief hiatus from the Company from 2021 to 2023, Karl served as President, International from 2017 to 2021, during which time he led Ritchie Bros.’ growing international business unit, including Europe, the Middle East, LATAM, India, Africa, Australia and Asia Pacific. Karl also served as interim Co-CEO of the Company from October 2019 to January 2020.

Mr Werner came to the Company after 10 years of operating a heavy-haul transport company. He has a strong background in real estate development and operations management. Mr Werner sits on advisory boards for various strategic partners.

Mr Werner is based in the United States.