Just before 2020 closed, DealerSocket announced the appointment of Byron McDuffee as chief operating officer, although the company said he officially joined DealerSocket from Equifax in November.
The software provider said the 22-year automotive industry veteran will oversee DealerSocket’s operations, customer success and support, corporate development, strategy, vendor management and analytics teams.
“Byron is an accomplished auto industry leader, and we are excited to welcome him to DealerSocket and our executive team,” DealerSocket chief executive officer Sejal Pietrzak said in a news release.
“Byron has strong experience in leading global teams, creating successful growth strategies, optimizing processes and driving analytics,” Pietrzak continued. “He has a dealer-first customer service approach and a keen focus on building a strong company culture and positive employee engagement, all of which aligns with DealerSocket’s priorities.
“I am thrilled that he has joined us, and he is already making a significant positive impact to our company,” she added.
McDuffee previously served as senior vice president and general manager of automotive services at Equifax, where he led and managed all aspects of the automotive business.
McDuffee also served in a variety of leadership roles at CDK Global, including general management responsibilities and as the head of the company’s global strategy and corporate ventures group.
“I’m excited to join DealerSocket, an organization whose goals are so closely aligned with my experience and passion for this great industry,” McDuffee said. “DealerSocket has made significant strides in helping dealers leverage data and product innovation to define the customer journey, increase buyer satisfaction, and maximize dealership profit potential.
“The acquisition of Auto/Mate elevates the company’s market position even more, giving dealers a much-needed new choice in the full platform-provider space,” he went on to say.
McDuffee will relocate from Illinois to DealerSocket’s Dallas headquarters in 2021, according to the company.
DRAIVER made a major executive move on the first business day of 2021.
The software provider in the vehicle transportation industry announced on Tuesday that veteran technology executive Anthony Monteiro will transition from president of automotive retail to becoming the company’s chief operating officer.
The company highlighted Monteiro has years of experience in product innovation, sales management, operations and scaling young companies. Monteiro spent more than 25 years in a variety of leadership roles with the companies such as ELEAD CRM/CDK Global, Sonic Automotive, Prime Motor Group and Autoweb.com.
Prior to joining DRAIVER, Monteiro served as vice president of product at ELEAD CRM, a CDK Global company that provides software for automotive sales, servicing and marketing for more than 6,000 dealers in the U.S.
At DRAIVER, Monteiro will be responsible for strategic partnerships, sales, marketing, professional services, recruitment, and ensuring operational excellence. Having driven growth strategies with several of the nation’s top companies within several businesses, the company added that Monteiro will also focus on fueling DRAIVER’s continued accelerated growth and expansion into new verticals.
“Anthony has a strong and reputable track record of successfully implementing strategic visions that have catapulted several companies from start-ups to large industry leaders,” DRAIVER chief executive officer Zarif Haque said in a news release. “Throughout his career, he has overachieved in driving profitability and revenue growth. He holds a unique combination of intimate industry knowledge and a leadership style which has proven to be extremely successful in his past endeavors.
“Anthony has successfully maneuvered through numerous ventures demonstrating his ability to scale quickly and effectively while maintaining integrity and a positive culture,” Haque continued. “We now have the industry’s most advanced technology platform, numerous issued patents, and an extremely talented team.
“We are looking forward to further establishing our brand with Anthony’s expertise by introducing new strategies and initiatives that I believe will unlock the company’s full potential. We are extremely excited about this addition to the DRAIVER family,” Haque went on to say.
Monteiro described what it means to take on this new role with DRAIVER and what he hopes to accomplish.
“This is an industry need that many companies have been trying to solve for a very long time and what I find most compelling about what we are doing at DRAIVER is that we have solutions that not only solve the challenges around moving vehicles, it is an all-in-one solution for the execution of moving essentially anything including people and packages,” Monteiro said.
“We are truly delivering the best option for clients around the country that are struggling to facilitate this new culture of selling and servicing vehicles remotely, while at the same time providing a platform for thousands of people to make a great living through these trying times,” he continued.
“With our recent additions to the senior management team like Liam Kirby, Carmen Andreoli and Jason Fayling, we are bringing some of the most experienced leadership and result oriented team in the industry, DRAIVER is poised for even greater success,” Monteiro added. “I’m looking forward to helping take the company to the next level in 2021.”
Lightico reinforced its executive team this week to help continue growth by the provider of the platform built so customers can interact digitally with auto-finance companies and other financial services firms.
Lightico welcomed Rich Corriss as its new director of customer success. A banking and technology veteran with nearly 30 years of experience, the company said Corriss will help lead Lightico’s continued growth in the banking, auto finance and credit union space following rapid growth in 2020, including a number of regional banks and credit unions.
Lightico is designed to help its clients improve customer experience and efficiency, through faster turnaround times, higher completion rates and higher NPS — significantly impacting bottom-line results. Clients include leading financial institutions and insurance providers, including companies such as Capital One and Westlake Financial.
The solution can integrate into businesses via an open API or through integrations into business systems like Salesforce and Nice InContact.
“I’m excited to be joining Lightico on the front line of helping our clients, particularly in the banking industry, to become more efficient and digital at this critical time,” Corriss said in a news release.
“Not only is Lightico’s tech incredibly effective in saving time and money for businesses, it’s making everyday life for consumers easier and safer by enabling many more interactions to be completed remotely on their phone,” Corriss continued.
Corriss joins Lightico following two years as senior sales engineer at Lytics as well as nearly a decade at LivePerson, focusing on building out their financial services vertical and standing up an operational excellence consulting group for Fortune 100 clients.
Prior to that tenure, Corriss spent 19 years holding a variety of roles at JP Morgan Chase and Citi.
“Rich is a professional with significant experience in implementing technology in some of the largest and most complex enterprise companies in the world, both on the customer side and vendor side,” Lightico chief revenue officer Gilad Komorov said.
“We’re growing faster than ever and ensuring that our customers get the most out of Lightico and are able to maximize their digital toolset is key to future success,” Komorov went on to say.
Lightico recently raised nearly $13 million from Oxx, Capital One Ventures and Harmony Partners.
Volta, one of this year’s Emerging 8 honorees, welcomed a new chief revenue officer to its executive leadership team on Monday.
Joining the company focused on commerce-centric electric vehicle charging networks is Brandt Hastings, who brings nearly two decades of experience in digital media and advertising to Volta.
“Volta is unique in our ability to create commerce through EV charging, and our platform can connect brands to one of the most influential shifts in consumer and mobility behavior,” Volta founder and chief executive officer Scott Mercer said in a news release.
“Brandt’s background in developing effective, data driven media solutions perfectly matches Volta’s ambition to create a real-world media platform with truly measurable impact,” Mercer continued.
The company highlighted Hastings’ experience in building revenue growth strategies will be a key asset as Volta continues to successfully scale the value of its premium EV charging network. The company projects that its work in developing innovative commercial solutions for top global brands and advertising agencies will build on Volta’s existing partnerships and unlock new opportunities.
Prior to joining Volta, Brandt held key revenue leadership positions at iHeartMedia and Clear Channel Communications, where he established a track record of building innovative new business models that delivered superior, measurable results for marketers and advertising agency partners.
“I am excited to join Volta as their charging stations double as an ad platform telling high impact stories using sustainable technology,” said Hastings, who will report to Mercer and be based in the New York area.
“Volta is the most utilized EV charging network in the U.S. which is important to me as it not only helps to combat climate change, it is also a proven, unique platform for advertisers,” Hastings added.
Back in October, tech startup Carsfast formed its advisory board that includes Women in Auto Finance honoree Marguerite Watanabe, who is the president of Connections Insights, as well as Hudson Cook partner Michael Benoit.
On Monday, the dealership driven by artificial intelligence appointed a new general manager who most recently worked at Hertz.
Taking on this role is Kenny McDonald who possesses more than 25 years of automotive retail, wholesale and finance experience. McDonald was most recently a regional general manager with Hertz Car Sales, responsible for leading one of the largest volume regions in the country.
Prior to that position, Carsfast highlighted that the Chicago native held a number of pivotal roles in automotive sales, strategy and development, bringing further specialized expertise to the Carsfast general manager role.
“We are thrilled to welcome Kenny to the Carsfast team,” chief executive officer and co-founder Shaun Sumaru said in a news release. “Kenny is incredibly well regarded and respected in the industry and has a reputation being a personable and well-rounded leader who has a hands-on approach to business.
“We have some exciting months ahead of us. We’re confident Kenny will bring the right mix of skills and knowledge to bolster the Carsfast team onto the next realm,” Sumaru continued.
McDonald shared his perspective about this latest professional endeavor.
“This is the time to really make waves and disrupt the fast-moving automotive landscape,” he said.
“I am looking forward to working closely with our dedicated operations and development teams to help refine and explore new ideas surrounding the way consumers purchase cars, and ultimately increasing our footprint across the country,” McDonald went on to say.
One of this year’s Women in Auto Finance honorees is about to become a chief executive officer.
Last week, DriveTime Automotive Group and Bridgecrest Acceptance Corp. announced a succession plan that involves honoree Mary Leigh Phillips, current chief financial officer for DriveTime and Bridgecrest.
Effective at year-end, the company said Phillips will assume the role of CEO for Bridgecrest. She joined the companies in 2018 after an extended career with Wells Fargo where she specialized in arranging capital markets and lending solutions for consumer finance companies.
And according to a news release, Scott Worthington, currently executive vice president of operations for DriveTime, will assume the role of CEO for DriveTime. Worthington has been with DriveTime for 13 years. He most recently served as the head of all retail operations, including marketing, inventory, retail sales and real estate.
The company said Phillips and Worthington will both join the DriveTime and Bridgecrest boards of directors.
The company went on to say that Dan Gaudreau, current treasurer of both companies, will assume the role of CFO for both entities. Gaudreau most recently oversaw the treasury and capital markets, tax, and internal audit divisions.
Prior to joining DriveTime in 2015, Gaudreau worked at Ernst & Young advising clients in capital markets transactions.
Furthermore, the company said current DriveTime CEO Don Reese will continue to serve as a strategic advisor and will continue as a director on the DriveTime and Bridgecrest boards of directors.
“Don has helped our organization transition from legacy leadership, solidified our core businesses and prepared the companies for the next generation of leaders,” chairman Ernie Garcia II said in the news release. I am tremendously grateful to Don for his work in getting us here and want to thank him for all his contributions.
“As we look to the future, I am excited to see where the next generation of leadership takes these companies as we continue our focus on innovation within financial services and automotive retail,” Garcia went on to say.
One of last year’s Women in Auto Finance honorees received an executive promotion this week.
Equifax named Lena Bourgeois as automotive general manager, responsible for driving customer value and accelerating company growth in the automotive market.
The company highlighted Bourgeois brings a strong background in data and information technology systems to the position, critical as dealers and finance companies embrace a digital automotive experience and navigate a challenging economic environment.
“Lena has successfully led our Equifax automotive Enterprise Alliances for the last four years, working to grow our partner network and augment our robust portfolio of auto services and solutions,” said Joy Wilder Lybeer, United States Information Solutions (USIS) chief revenue officer and senior vice president of global partnerships at Equifax. “We are committed to helping automotive dealers and lenders navigate today’s COVID-19 economy.
“Under Lena’s leadership, the Equifax automotive business is well positioned to help OEM, dealer and finance partners obtain the smarter insights they need to not only take action today, but to plan for a successful future,” Wilder Lybeer continued in a news release.
Bourgeois has held senior management positions within Equifax for nearly a decade.
Prior to joining the Equifax automotive team, Bourgeois served as vice president of consumer markets for the Equifax IXI Network, where she led business development in the automotive, communications, insurance, restaurant, retail and travel/leisure industries.
Bourgeois also held senior sales and business development roles with Nielsen and Claritas.
“Today’s automotive industry is as much about data, analytics and technology as it is about innovative vehicle designs,” Bourgeois said. “Equifax has positioned itself at the center of the digital automotive experience.
“I am truly excited about leading a team of dedicated automotive professionals committed to providing the best solutions for our customers and partners looking for a customer journey built on trust, satisfaction and growth,” she went on to say.
Market Scan welcomed a pair of former Cox Automotive executives this week that the Sofware-as-a-Service solutions and data provider said will help to realize its enterprise solutions’ growth strategies.
Coming aboard are Damon Bennett as vice president of business development and Deanna (DeeDee) VanderYacht as director of business development.
“Damon and DeeDee are two great additions to the Market Scan family,” Market Scan co-founder and president Rusty West in a news release. “We are experiencing an amazing period of growth and our enterprise solutions are in very high demand.
“Recent partnerships include Automotive News, Tekion, several OEMs and industry leaders, including General Motors, Hyundai, Experian, Ally Financial and U.S. Bank. To help us manage this growth phase and map out strategy for future growth, we are excited to bring Damon and DeeDee on board,” West continued. Their longstanding and successful track record in various automotive sales and business development roles add both credence and significant executive sales experience to our team.
“They will work closely with Jenn Reid, Market Scan’s vice president of strategic partnerships, and further bolster Market Scan’s leadership position in the automotive space,” West went on to say.
Bennett is a senior automotive industry professional with a longstanding and successful track record in various sales and business development roles. Throughout his 25-year career, he has managed and driven business for organizations such as NADAguides.com, Kelley Blue Book and Cox Automotive.
Most recently, Bennett served as senior director of syndication at Cox Automotive, where he was responsible for leading, supporting, and developing data syndication partnerships for Kelley Blue Book and Autotrader.
“Anyone who is part of the automotive industry knows that our business is a relationship business,” Bennett said. “I look forward to working with the Market Scan team to help develop and grow these relationships.
“I am particularly excited to partner with Jenn Reid,” Bennett continued. “Ultimately, our goal is to expand the Market Scan footprint to empower even more retailers, lenders, OEMs and industry partners be as successful as possible.”
VanderYacht joined Kelley Blue Book in 2007. In her 12 years at Cox Automotive, she held several roles in sales and business development, most recently as the director of syndication.
In that role, VanderYacht oversaw an operational overhaul, creating processes that dramatically increased sales efficiency and profitability, driving double-digit growth in each of the last five years.
“I am very proud to join Market Scan,” VanderYacht said. “Market Scan has managed to solidify its position as an authority in the market at a time of unprecedented change and disruption. This is underscored by their impressive performance and growth.
“I very much look forward to working with Jenn and Damon to further this growth through strategic partnerships. It is evident Market Scan’s enterprise solutions address many challenges and problems facing a great number of companies in automotive,” VanderYacht went on to say.
To learn more about Market Scan, visit www.marketscan.com.
After being with the finance company for the past seven years, Marc Womack now is president and chief executive officer of TD Auto Finance.
According to a news release from TD Bank distributed on Thursday, Womack will oversee the expansion of TD Auto Finance in the U.S. market and drive integration between TD Auto Finance and TD Bank’s consumer business.
Womack will also join the TD Bank management committee.
“TD Auto Finance benefits from enormous growth potential, and under Marc’s leadership, the business will be well positioned to further expand its presence in the U.S. market,” TD Bank president and CEO Greg Braca said.
“Marc is an experienced industry leader with a proven track record of transforming business strategies that drive growth and increase efficiency,” Braca continued. “I look forward to having him on my Management Committee as we work together to integrate TD Auto Finance with our consumer business.”
Womack, who will report to Ernie Diaz, Head of U.S. Consumer Distribution, Wealth & TD Auto Finance at TD Bank, brings more than 29 years in the banking industry to his new role.
Having spent the last seven years at TD, Womack most recently served as the chief operating officer for TD Auto Finance, leading commercial lending, dealer operations and sales. Previously, he worked as chief of staff for TD’s U.S. CEO and was head of U.S. product for TD Auto Finance.
Before joining TD Bank, Womack led JPMorgan Chase’s U.S.-based Jaguar/Land Rover auto financing business and was head of marketing for Hyundai Capital America.
“Marc brings an incredible depth of knowledge and experience to his new role, and I am excited to welcome him to the team,” Diaz said. “Likewise, I am looking forward to more deeply connecting TD Auto Finance to the Consumer team as we work together to continue delivering legendary, Unexpectedly Human experiences for all TD customers.”
Outside of work, Womack is active in his community. He currently serves on the board of directors for the American Financial Services Association, is a member of the board of directors for RouteOne and a member of the Executive Leadership Council.
With a background in the banking, financial services, investment and medical industries, CDK Global welcomed its new chief information officer on Thursday.
Taking on the role of CIO for the automotive retail technology company is Kirsten Garen who also will also be a member of CDK’s executive leadership team.
In her role, the company said Garen will execute the IT strategy to drive innovation and operational excellence in support of the customers, partners and employees of CDK.
”Kirsten’s ability to align operational execution and technology transformation with business outcomes make her the perfect fit to accelerate our vision to modernize, transform and support a digital future for our customers and employees,” said Mahesh Shah, executive vice president and chief product and technology officer at CDK.
“She prioritizes developing talent and team collaboration that matches well with our core values and corporate culture,” Shah continued in a news release.
Possessing more than 30 years of experience in technology and operations roles, CDK highlighted that Garen brings a diverse experience in driving transformations in customer-centric, growing organizations.
Most recently, Garen served as CIO for Delta Dental of California where she led all technology functions. Prior to Delta Dental, she served as CIO for Bank of the West. Garen has also held senior executive technology and operations roles at VISA, Charles Schwab and Bankers Trust.
“I’m delighted to join CDK. I see tremendous opportunity for enterprise collaboration to drive efficiency and scale that will allow us to grow and work with our clients to transform their businesses,” Garen said.
“We will focus on streamlining and optimizing the work of our teams to allow them to innovate and create new client solutions,” she went on to say.
