Cox Automotive announced two new leadership appointments at VinSolutions today. Lori Wittman has assumed the position of vice president and general manager of the Kansas City-area customer relationship management company, while Sean Stapleton has expanded his role with VinSolutions as vice president of sales and marketing.

Keith Jezek, the software division president at Cox Automotive, believes Wittman will be a great fit for the position left open by Brian Skutta, who assumed responsibility of chief executive officer at AutoAlert today.

“Lori is a strong leader with a proven record of success in multiple industries, and her previous experience in operations and technology roles positions her well to drive additional value for our VinSolutions dealers,” Jezek said.

Along with Skutta, who was today named AutoAlert’s new CEO, Akshaya Mehta became the company’s chief technology officer, a newly created position for the company.

“AutoAlert’s advanced analytics and training capabilities have reshaped how dealers can strategically and effectively engage their customers to create more sales and vehicle acquisition opportunities,” Skutta said. “I look forward to working with the team to continue to build on AutoAlert’s success in driving the massive opportunity that technology solutions create for our industry.”

Steve Young, AutoAlert’s co-chairman, believes the acquisition of Skutta and Mehta is just the beginning of the company’s upsweeping goals.

“Since HGGC’s investment, AutoAlert has continued its tremendous growth trajectory,” Young said. “I have no doubt that the addition of Brian and Akshaya will help accelerate the company’s success in delivering best-in-class solutions.”