Mitch Golub spent nearly two decades as a leader of Cars.com. Now the vehicle listing website has revealed two top executive changes in less than three weeks.

Gannett Co. announced on Friday that Alex Vetter, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Cars.com, has been named president and chief executive officer.

Officials indicated former Cars.com CEO Dan Jauernig has decided to return to his home city of Toronto to be closer to his family and has joined a leading financial services firm.

“Alex has deep knowledge of the business, having helped create and strategically build Cars.com as a top destination for online car shoppers,” Gannett president and CEO Gracia Martore said. “He is a highly respected leader, with tremendous experience in growing new products and successfully steering expansion into new categories of business. He helped grow Cars.com from a start-up to the leading online automotive marketplace it is today.”

The chain of events started back on Oct. 23 when Golub announced his retirement, triggering Jauernig to take on the president role. The company indicated Golub will stay with the company through March 1 to ensure a smooth leadership transition.

But now that transition includes Vetter not moving up from a senior vice president role to COO, but now as president and CEO.

Cars.com highlighted that Vetter has been a key leader, helping the site grow to more than 1,300 employees, serving every local market in the United States.

Vetter has operated in nearly every capacity at Cars.com, serving as senior vice president of Cars.com since 2006 until recently taking on the new and expanded role of executive vice president and chief operating officer.

From 2001 to 2005, he was vice president of sales; director of product development and operations from 1999 to 2001; manager of affiliate operations from 1998 to 1999; and from 1997 to 1998, he was manager of business development for Classified Ventures.

Prior to those posts, he worked in business development for the Tribune Co.

Vetter is also an active technology investor and sits on the boards of several digital technology companies, including RepairPal, the definitive source for trusted information on auto repair and service. 

In 2013, Vetter helped establish the Houndstooth Charitable Fund, which provides resources for worthy causes and/or families in need. It was nationally recognized by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in its inaugural year.