Tracy Noonan Fred, a veteran of more than 30 years in the auto industry, has joined FordDirect as chief operating officer.

Fred will work with Chris Thornton, who took over as CEO in November, in leading the joint venture between Ford Motor Company and its dealers in its mission to integrate digital strategy, data and emerging technology to give dealers access to marketing and advertising products and services.

FordDirect said Fred, a 2025 Auto Remarketing Women in Retail honoree, will oversee all daily operations for a variety of business segments, including teams dedicated to product, product development, dealer engagement and marketing, enterprise operations, and analytics and data strategy.

“Tracy brings incredibly valuable experience from our industry to FordDirect,” Thornton said. “We are excited to welcome her and absolutely convinced that she is the right person to position FordDirect as an even greater strategic advantage for Ford dealers, Lincoln retailers and Ford Motor Company.”

Fred comes to FordDirect after almost 18 years with Cox Automotive, serving in holding numerous executive positions for the company’s vAuto, VinSolutions, Dealertrack and Xtime brands and most recently serving as senior vice president of dealer and lender solutions. Her resume also includes national and field management positions with Toyota, Nissan, Mitsubishi and Mazda.

“I look forward to working with the company’s talented people and teams to achieve our vision,” Fred said. “Helping our customers win at retail will be my focus, and I am confident in our ability to deliver sustained success.”