Sam Mahrouq serves as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of ikon Technologies, a vertical expansion of his sprawling business products and services in the automotive industry. This innovative company is only one of his entrepreneurial enterprises organized into the MEI Group (Mahrouq Enterprises International). Under this business umbrella are 11 car dealerships, a prominent Dollar Rent-a-Car franchise, and MEI Auto Finance.

Sam is a 1991 graduate of the University of Texas at Arlington School of Business, choosing the university for what he terms a superior and practical education. While attending school, he sold his vehicle to an individual who was overjoyed with his customer service and price. His business acumen showed him that selling used automobiles was fruitful and, in many ways, helpful to others. Before too long, he was selling used vehicles in Texas, and all over the world, quickly making a name for himself in the automotive industry.

Sam credits his successes to always adhering to best practices, looking for the win-win, and not exploiting others. He believes in giving back to the community. He has funded the $500,000 UTA School of Business Financial Markets Lab and continues to be involved in his alma mater by volunteering. Most recently, he was named to the Board of UTA’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Economic Innovation.

ikon Technologies is the proud recipient of several awards and accolades for its innovations and contributions under Sam’s leadership over the years. In 2020, ikon was named one of The Silicon Review’s 50 Most Innovative Companies to Watch in 2020. It was also named one of CIO Review’s Most Promising Automotive Solution Providers of 2020.

Walid Joulani brings over 35 years of owning and operating auto dealerships to Ikon Technologies. In his experience, he has the expertise of knowing the logistics and operational challenges among all departments and coming up with solutions.

Walid went to the University of Texas at Arlington in Aerospace Engineering/Aviation Commercial Pilot. He is third generation in the auto industry, getting into aerospace engineering to escape the family business. But it was in his blood. Walid bought and sold cars while in college, opening his first dealership in Arlington in 1987. He also began his real estate investments around that time. He expanded that to owning and operating 10 locations of new franchise and pre-owned vehicles. He owned and operated dealerships in many cities.

Walid also serves on several advisory boards and community charity organizations. He served on the National Subaru Dealer Advisory Board, is a member of the NIADA, NADA, TIADA and TADA and was among the top Texas Retail Subaru Dealers.

Walid stresses how important it is to make a difference. He finds it important to take care of the customers and the staff. Dedication and doing the right thing all of the time for your customers and business, being consistent, that’s what is important to Walid. “To succeed and make money, you must take care of your customers and staff. Doing the right thing leads to success for everyone.”

As dealers, we should embrace and accept changes to improve our business. Technology has changed so much in people’s lives and Walid recognizes and embraces that. “We are constantly changing for the better. A lot of what we do will be done through technology. Technology is the future, and we need to make sure to react early enough to it.”

Walid knows the ins and outs of every department in a dealership, making Ikon a better solution. “The logistics of operating a franchise dealership gives our technology the edge because we know how to overcome these challenges from inside the dealerships.” Walid believes in continuously working on improving the Ikon technology to overcome the challenges in a dealership’s operation.