Jeff Voth

Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Vicarious · Chair, Vicarious Awards

Jeff Voth is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Vicarious and Chair of the Vicarious Awards, overseeing both the editorial direction of the publication and the governance of its annual judging program. With more than two decades of experience in automotive media, he brings long-standing industry perspective and editorial rigor to the evaluation of today’s vehicles.

Jeff began his career in 1998 with the launch of Cartrackers.com, Canada’s first dedicated new-vehicle review website. He has since contributed to major Canadian and international publications, including Cigar Aficionado, Live Out Loud and Bombardier Experience Magazine, and served as Yahoo! Autos Editor-at-Large from 2006 to 2012.

Today, Jeff leads Vicarious as a nationally distributed print and digital magazine and multi-platform media brand, guiding its long-term vision across automotive, travel, and lifestyle channels.

Dan Heyman

Senior Editor, Vicarious

Dan Heyman is an award-winning automotive journalist and editor with more than 15 years of experience covering the car industry. Known for his sharp analysis and accessible writing style, he has built a respected career at the intersection of journalism and automotive culture.

His work has appeared in leading Canadian outlets including the Toronto Star and Auto123.com, spanning vehicle reviews, industry news, and long-form features. At Vicarious, Dan serves as Senior Editor and lead First Drive contributor, bringing a thoughtful, detail-oriented approach to automotive coverage.

Outside of work, he is a lifelong car enthusiast with a particular fondness for Hot Wheels.

Emily Atkins

Emily is happiest behind the wheel, preferably of something quick. A journalist since the age of about 8, she’s been writing about cars for 15 years, funding her passion for racing. Emily competes whenever she can and has racked up numerous road racing championship trophies in her beloved #17 1994 Eurospec M3.

Her journalism career has spanned three continents and numerous subject areas including logistics, waste management and insurance claims, but the best parts have been writing about cars for (among others) the Globe & Mail, Toronto Star, Automotive News Canada, CAA, Fleet Management magazine and Canadian Automotive Fleet magazine, and of course, VICARIOUS!

Emily lives in eastern Ontario and when she’s not at the wheel or writing, she spends her free time singing in her band or outdoors skiing, cycling, kayaking and taking photos of the natural world.

Jeff Wilson ★

Jeff Wilson is a producer with Emmy-nominated production company Echo Bay Media, known for travel productions like Departures, Descending, Into The Rising Sun, and Over the Horizon, enjoyed around the world on Travel Channel, National Geographic, Netflix and Discovery to name a few. The team’s adventures have enabled Jeff to experience Sudan, Djibouti, remote islands in Papua, and motorcycling across the Jordanian desert, although producing a culinary series in a 12^th century French chateau was decidedly more comfortable.

Jeff’s passion for travel is only surpassed by his love of machines and he’s spent the past dozen years sharing his award-winning photography and writing about cars, trucks and motorcycles in several notable online and print publications. When not behind the camera or keyboard, Jeff’s happiest behind the handlebars of a motorcycle, or the wheel of a sports car, exploring places he’s never been before, checking out the local culture and cuisine.

Steven Bochenek

Steven Bochenek (b-KEN-ek) is a veteran marketing writer who went freelance in 2003 (aka got gloriously fired from a prominent international agency) then expanded his writing into automotive and travel features. He joined the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada in 2011 and has published hundreds of pieces in multiple publications including Vicarious Magazine. His work has been lauded in many advertising/marketing and automotive journalism award shows.

Steven has been a part-time professor of advertising and marketing at Torontonian Colleges since 2010. In his spare time, he likes to play the piano and sing. And travel.

Peter Bleakney

Peter Bleakney is a multiple award-winning member of AJAC (Automobile Journalists Association of Canada) and has been writing about cars and car culture for almost thirty years. Originally a long-time contributor to the Toronto Star Wheels section, Peter currently writes for AutoTrader, Post Media, Sharp magazine, Robb Report, and of course Vicarious, where in this issue he drives the new Porsche 911 Carrera T and takes us to Wolfsburg for the celebratory 2024 GTI FanFest.

When not travelling to far off locals to test vehicles, he works as a professional freelance bass player in the Toronto area, doing theatre, live gigs, recording and his own project, Wolfenboys. Peter is also committed, for better or worse, to keeping his 2001 VW GTI and 2001 Porsche Boxster S on the road forever, which pretty much precludes any notions of slowing down.

Matthew Guy

Matthew’s goal is to put readers in the driver’s seat for a unique and entertaining look at the automotive industry – whether penning vehicle reviews with a creative bent, travelling to manufacturer events for first drives of new models, or speaking with industry stakeholders to gain extra insight for an article.

As a lifelong gearhead scribing automotive content for Canadian and American outlets, he has been alternately described as a freelance author, podcast host, road test magnate, and legend in his own mind. A member of AJAC and resident of rural Nova Scotia, readers can find him on social media @DudeDrivesCars or wrenching on his Dodge Challenger R/T in a futile quest for extra speed.

Mark Hacking

Mark Hacking is an award-winning editor/writer/photographer with over 25 years’ experience working with leading publications around the world. His byline has appeared in Architectural Digest, Azure, Departures, enRoute, Forza, The Globe and Mail, Intersection, Luxury Magazine, Montecristo, NUVO, Robb Report and the Toronto Star.

Mark has also competed in a range of motorsports over the past 20 years. He finished on the class podium at Targa Newfoundland three consecutive times from 2004-06. In 2011, he raced at the Nürburgring Nordschleife with the factory Aston Martin team. In 2013, he became the first journalist to race in the Ferrari Challenge, finishing third in class in both outings. In 2019, he was the first journalist in the world to race in the Jaguar I-PACE eTrophy, the first-ever all-electric production car race series.

Kevin Mio

Based in Montreal, Kevin Mio is a seasoned automotive journalist and editor with more than 20 years of experience. A former AJAC member, he co-chaired the association’s EcoRun, highlighting advancements in vehicle electrification.

His work has appeared in Vicarious, the Montreal Gazette, National Post, Driving.ca, and other major outlets.

Tim Dimopoulos

Tim Dimopoulos is Managing Director and Publisher of Automotive News Canada and brings more than 30 years of senior leadership experience in business and automotive media. Prior to joining Automotive News, he held executive roles at Annex Business Media, Glacier Media, and Rogers Sports & Media.

Tim is also a broadcast contributor and host, appearing regularly on national radio programs including 680 News. He holds a degree in Communication Studies from Concordia University.

Gabriel Gélinas ★

Gabriel Gélinas is an award-winning automotive journalist with more than three decades of experience. He is a juror for both the World Car of the Year Awards and the North American Car, Truck and Utility of the Year Awards, and serves as a director for WCOTY.

A former Chief Instructor at the Jim Russell Racing School at Circuit Mont-Tremblant, Gabriel brings extensive track experience to his evaluations. He has also served as Chief Editor of Moto Journal, contributing deep motorcycle expertise alongside his automotive work.

Andrew McCredie

Andrew McCredie is a veteran automotive journalist and long-time member of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada. His work blends vehicle evaluation with travel storytelling, and he hosts the Plugged In podcast focused on electric vehicles.

Based in North Vancouver, Andrew brings decades of global driving experience and a growing focus on electrification to the jury.

Kunal D’Souza

Kunal D’Souza is a Canadian automotive journalist and content creator whose work explores the emotional and experiential side of driving. A regular contributor to leading outlets and digital platforms, he approaches cars as tools for exploration and storytelling.

Petrina Gentile

Petrina Gentile is an award-winning automotive journalist who has covered the industry for more than two decades. A regular contributor to The Globe and Mail, she also appears frequently as an automotive expert on national television and business news networks.

She previously produced 18 seasons of the national TV show Car/Business and holds a Master of Journalism from Carleton University.

Michael Bettencourt

Michael Bettencourt focuses on exotic and electric vehicles and has test-driven thousands of cars over the past two decades. A co-author of The Practical Guide to Electric Vehicles, he regularly contributes to the Toronto Star and international EV-focused publications.

He has been a member of AJAC for more than 25 years and serves as a judge for its annual Innovation Awards.

Additional Automobile Dual-Discipline Jurors ★

Matthew Neudorf ★

Mark Richardson ★

Matthew Neudorf ★

Matt’s happy place is being behind the bars of a motorcycle, panniers dutifully packed with camping gear, and days of winding roads ahead. One part gear-head and one part wanderluster, Matt was naturally drawn to the world of automotive and motorcycle journalism to relay the stories of his travels and the machines that ferried him along the way.

Matt has been working in the industry, mostly part-time, for two decades. He cut his editorial teeth working at The Truth About Cars and has been a contributor for The Toronto Star, Gear Patrol, Bike Exif, CraftRad Magazine and, of course, here at Vicarious Magazine.

Born in Scarborough, Matt and his wife have recently moved to Northumberland County and thanks in large part to the amazing, undulating roads that surround them, are never moving back.

Mark Richardson ★

Mark Richardson is a former editor of Toronto Star Wheels and a veteran automotive and motorcycle journalist. He is currently a freelance contributor to Vicarious and The Globe and Mail’s GlobeDrive, bringing decades of editorial experience to both automotive and motorcycle evaluation.

He is the author of several acclaimed books, including Zen and Now: On the Trail of Robert Pirsig and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and The Drive Across Canada: The Remarkable Story of the Trans-Canada Highway. Based in Cobourg, Ontario, Mark brings a writer’s eye for context, purpose, and how machines shape the journeys they enable.

Justin W. Coffey

Justin W. Coffey is a freelance photojournalist and co-creator of WESTx1000, focusing on motorcycles, motorsport, and adventure travel. His work documents high-speed pursuits and remote landscapes around the world.

Additional Motorcycle Dual-Discipline Jurors ★

Gabriel Gélinas ★

Jeff Wilson ★