Manheim said on Tuesday that it’s continuing to follow its strategy to promote talent from within the company.
As a result, Manheim announced two new general manager selections at locations in the West. Assuming new leadership roles are Eddie Lafferty at Manheim Seattle and Danny Brawn at Manheim Nevada.
Lafferty has been named general manager of Manheim Seattle. A 30-year veteran of the automotive industry, Lafferty has extensive experience in both retail and wholesale operations. He joined Manheim in 2008 as fleet lease manager, before being promoted to assistant general manager for Manheim Seattle.
Most recently, Lafferty was GM of Manheim Nevada. Under his leadership, the auction location nearly doubled its financial performance in four years and won several client and industry-related awards.
Brawn, in turn, has assumed the role of general manager of Manheim Nevada.
Brawn joined Manheim in 2005. His previous positions with the company include regional sales manager for the northwest market, assistant general manager at Manheim Phoenix, as well as a variety of sales roles across Manheim Portland, Manheim Kentucky, Manheim Orlando and Manheim Nashville. Most recently, Brawn spent four years as GM of Manheim Darlington.
Brawn also serves as a leader in the industry and his community. He is currently vice president of the National Auto Auction Association’s Southern Chapter and 2018-2019 chairman of the Greater Darlington Chamber of Commerce.
“Developing strong leaders is a key element of Manheim’s growth strategy,” Manheim West Regional vice president Julie Picard said in a news release. “Eddie and Danny have each served in roles of increasing responsibility at Manheim for more than a decade, gaining knowledge of our business and developing the skills necessary to enhance the client experience and drive results.
“I’m thrilled to see how they’ll excel in these new roles,” Picard went on to say.
Cox Enterprises executive vice president and chief people and operations officer Jill Campbell says that Cox Enterprises has cultivated a unique culture that has empowered employees, invested deeply in communities and broken new ground in cutting-edge industries for more than 120 years.
Commenting on the appointment of John Kovac as senior vice president, brand, marketing and creative for Cox Enterprises effective Monday, Campbell said Kovac’s “entrepreneurial spirit and innovative approach to marketing” will help highlight Cox as a leading employer. That, she said, will allow the company to continue engaging “the talent we need to build a better future.”
Kovac previously served as Cox Automotive executive vice president and chief marketing officer. In his newly created role, he will build centers of excellence that concentrate on employment brand, recruitment marketing, creative design, video and live event production.
To drive awareness, favorability and employment consideration, Kovac’s team will provide marketing strategy and support services to help result in a strong connective thread across Cox's business divisions, products and brands.
That includes new investments in cleantech and esports, according to the company.
Beginning his 20-year career with Cox at Autotrader, Kovac joined that company in its startup days as one of its first employees.
Cox Enterprises said Kovac eventually built Autotrader — which it described as a “digital classifieds pioneer” — into a household name. According to Cox Enterprises, Kovac has since helped establish Cox Automotive as a “transformational force for automotive retail.”
Kovac’s new leadership position is his first within the parent company, Cox Enterprises says it is recognized nationally among the top places to work, noting that it offers employees best-in-class health, wellness and financial benefits.
That is in addition to modern perks like unlimited personal time off, flexible work arrangements, paid volunteer time, and options for pet insurance and identity protection, according to Cox Enterprises.
Cox in 2018 started a multiyear effort to reimagine its employee experience, with a goal for it to remain best-in-class for the rapidly evolving workforce of today. Through a series of special projects known as the Cox EXLab, the company says real Cox employees are redesigning every major touchpoint across the employee journey. EX is shorthand for "employee experience."
The company said that initiative ranks among top Cox priorities, with a goal of creating “an empowered career path of learning, impact and personal growth” for every employee across the company’s diverse businesses.
Before his new appointment, Kovac oversaw an EXLab project team that came up with a brand identity to “capture the unique essence of Cox as a human powered, innovation obsessed company,” according to Cox Enterprises.
Cox said its employees are poised to solve the most crucial programs of the time as Cox continues to create new products and invest in futuristic industries such as clean technologies to build a sustainable planet and fight climate change.
LotLinx named Sean Peoples as chief revenue officer. Peoples was previously with CarGurus for six years, and he worked with founder Langley Steinert to build and grow the sales team at that company.
Prior to that, Peoples led Edmunds’ move to direct dealer sales, tripling that business line’s revenue in the first 12 months of the initiative.
At LotLinx, Peoples will work to scale the LotLinx sales organization as he has done with other major auto industry players.
LotLinx said Peoples’ work in accelerating growth for early stage, private automotive tech companies makes him an important asset in “fast tracking the penetration of LotLinx solutions in car dealerships across the nation.”
The company said the hiring of Peoples marks another important milestone as LotLinx plans to release an update to its TURN platform. Peoples’ team will lead the implementation of the platform among new dealerships.
LotLinx said the platform currently helps dealers such as Smart Motors Toyota, Fremont Motor Co., and Florida Fine Cars improve inventory turn and profitability. LotLinx says it has been a participant and sponsor at industry events such as Digital Dealer 27, DealerSocket Conference, DrivingSales Executive Summit, and PCG’s AAAS.
“During my 10 years in the automotive industry, I've gotten to know a lot of key players,” LotLinx chairman and chief executive officer Len Short said in a news release. “There is just a small handful of them who are cut above the rest, and Sean is one of them. Sean is smart, seasoned, and exactly the right guy to take us to the next level.”
Peoples added that LotLinx’s current product offering is exciting.
“After looking under the hood at the newest iteration of the TURN platform, I see something unlike anything else in the marketplace,” Peoples said. “I'm excited about the opportunity to grow dealer awareness of this intelligent application that allows them to actively manage their business, giving them the competitive edge they need to achieve higher volumes and gross margins.”
Independently owned marketing communications agency The Brandware Group has appointed former Cox Automotive public relations executive Lou Laste as agency chief executive officer.
Laste, whose appointment is effective Sept. 9, will lead all agency strategy and operations at The Brandware Group, which is headquartered in Atlanta and provides public relations, social media, digital marketing, and content and marketing services.
Laste’s areas of oversight will include talent development, agency culture, client business, service innovation and business development.
His 25 years of experience has involved creation and management of communications teams, and he has helped build public relations, digital and marketing campaigns for Fortune 500 and automotive, technology and media brands.
He most recently started and grew a boutique communications firm, and the company specialized in B2B technology and automotive clients. Those clients will now join Brandware’s consumer and B2B client community.
Before he created the communications company, Laste worked in executive marketing communications positions at companies such as Cox and Verizon.
“Brandware’s unique in-house analytics and insights expertise, world-class clients, and highly responsive team were just a few reasons that made the choice to join the agency an easy one,” Laste said in a news release. “Brandware has the right resources to help marketers authentically differentiate their brand and product stories, and that's a foundation that I'm excited to build on.”
Elke Martin, who co-founded Brandware in 2002, said, “Lou's track record of building high-impact, multi-channel campaigns that are grounded in brand truth aligns perfectly with Brandware’s agency vision for creating client success. His reputation for creating a best-in-class workplace culture and developing top talent is also a critical asset as we continue to grow.”
Brandware co-founder and partner David Krysiek added, “We’re absolutely confident that Lou is the right person to lead Brandware well into the next decade, adding a new chapter to our nearly 20 years of success.”
Roughly three months after ServNet first announced a change in leadership was in motion, the collection of independent auctions revealed who will be leading the group.
According to a news release distributed on Friday afternoon, ServNet president Eric Autenrieth announced the appointment of industry veterans John Brasher and Robert Sullivan to head ServNet’s executive team. Brasher and Sullivan will assume leadership of the auction group on Jan. 1.
Brasher has been named executive director, while Sullivan will serve as administrative director.
“We are delighted to welcome two individuals of such caliber and standing in the auction industry to ServNet’s executive team,” Autenrieth said. “Both John and Bob have years of experience in the industry and are champions of the independent auction.
Both former owners of ServNet auctions themselves, they bring unique and valuable perspectives to their new leadership positions,” Autenreith continued.
ServNet president-elect Bruce Beam agreed that their experience as auction owners and their knowledge of the industry prepared both Brasher and Sullivan for their new roles. Beam will take the reigns as president in October.
Friday afternoon’s development follows ServNet’s decision to move to an executive director system following Pierre Pons’ announcement that he would step down at the end of 2019 as the group’s chief executive officer, a post he has held since 2007.
Pons’ firm, TPC Management, has concurrently provided administrative management services to the ServNet group of auctions.
“We have great admiration for Pierre and the TPC team and are grateful for his dedication to our group for these past 12 years. He has worked tirelessly to fortify ServNet as an organization and to strengthen ServNet’s position in the industry,” Beam said.
On Friday, Pons again reflected on his time with ServNet.
“Having been the steward of the ServNet Brand for the past 12 years, I am very pleased to pass the torch to two veteran former ServNet Auction operators,” Pons said in the news release. “I really believe that no one can represent the organization better than someone that has owned and operated a ServNet auction location.
“John and Bob’s industry credentials are unparalleled, and I know they will continue to build and strengthen ServNet in this quickly changing industry,” Pons continued. “Our team in Franklin, Tennessee will be working diligently to ensure a smooth transition over the coming months.”
As owner of the Brasher family of auctions before an acquisition by ADESA in 2016, Brasher had been actively involved in many of the initiatives sponsored by ServNet. In fact, two Brasher auctions were founding members of ServNet in 1988.
Sullivan was managing partner of Chattanooga Auto Auction, which was an early member of ServNet, as well. He served a two-year term as ServNet’s president from 2004 to 2006, and has worked as a consultant for a number of ServNet auctions in recent years.
“We believe in the independent auction and have the highest regard for the leadership role that ServNet has taken in the vehicle remarketing world,” Brasher said. “ServNet auctions have always been among the innovators in the industry, and will continue to shape the nature of the auction business.
“It’s exciting to work with Bob in our new capacity as ServNet’s executive team to encourage and support the rising generation of auction owners and to carry forward the work to keep ServNet auctions strategically relevant in a rapidly evolving industry,” Brasher continued.
Brasher noted that ServNet auctions were one of the first in the industry to develop simulcast auction selling, initially via satellite feed and then through Online Ringman.
ServNet auctions owners also were instrumental in the development of Auction Pipeline, which was launched in 2006.
“This is a tremendous time for John and me to join again with ServNet and to be part of its forward momentum,” Sullivan said. “As we focus on driving ServNet’s operating capabilities and growth, we are equally inspired by the opportunities for ServNet to embrace the new tools and methods that are taking the auction experience to new levels: mobile technology, the virtual marketplace, digital channels, 360-degree imaging and data analytics.
“We look forward to a new chapter and an exciting future,” Sullivan added.
Continuing with new leadership team hires after announcing on Thursday that it hired auto industry veterans from AutoNation and CDK Global, vehicle subscription provider Fair announced on Monday that it has added to its leadership team with former executives from such companies as Google and TrueCar.
The new leaders are former Google and Discovery Networks executive Jay Trinidad, former TrueCar interim chief financial officer and chief accounting officer John Pierantoni, and Venture Capitalist Pat Wilkison, who was one of Fair’s earliest investors.
Fair named Trinidad chief product officer. In that post, he will oversee Fair’s efforts in app development and technology. Wilkison becomes Fair’s general manager of its Uber program and will oversee the strategy and execution of its exclusive global partnership with Uber. Pierantoni becomes Fair’s as senior vice president of finance and risk.
Fair said it added the three executives “to further strengthen its global positioning” and boost its technical capabilities as it moves toward global expansion.
The hires come on top of Fair’s recent hiring of former TrueCar and AutoNation executive Mike Timmons as senior vice president of sourcing, reconditioning and remarketing and former CDK Global head of OEM relations Syl Raymond as senior vice president of dealer & industry relations.
Starting his career at Google, Trinidad worked on products such as Chrome, Google Search and YouTube for 10 years, and he opened landing teams in India, Singapore, Seoul and Tokyo. Trinidad then worked on various AI and payments products for Gengo and Square.
He was most recently at the forefront of digital expansion to more than 1 billion consumers globally at Discovery Networks. He was also vice president of digital for McDonald’s Japan. In that position, he oversaw the company’s technology strategy, working to use digital innovation to improve the customer experience.
“I've spent my entire career focused on bridging the gap between tech and the consumer, and Fair represents a truly unique opportunity to do that in a business sector undergoing transformative change,” Trinidad said in a news release. “I am excited to contribute to changing how people access mobility as Fair matures from an exciting hypergrowth company into a true global disruptor.”
At his venture capital firm, Exponential Partners, Wilkison oversaw an early-stage investment in Fair. His career has covered the transportation and technology infrastructure areas, and at data storage company WD and at high-performance data storage company STEC, he built global business units. He was previously a technology investment banker at Lehman Brothers and Barclays, and for tech companies of all sizes, he performed IPOs and M&A work. He started out flying helicopters in support of infantry operations as an aviation planning officer in the U.S. Army.
“After investing in Fair, I quickly realized that simply being an investor wasn’t going to be enough for me,” Wilkison said. “Fair has accomplished great things with its Uber partnership, providing credit-challenged Uber drivers with flexible access to a car that allows them to build their own ridesharing business and achieve financial independence on their own terms.”
Pierantoni worked in accounting operations for high-growth technology and entertainment companies for more than 20 years, and he worked in public accounting for PricewaterhouseCoopers for more than 13 years. At TrueCar, he served as interim chief financial officer and chief accounting officer. He also worked for Cornerstone OnDemand as vice president of finance. At Cornerstone OnDemand, he helped coordinate its IPO in 2011. Pierantoni also worked for Ticketmaster Entertainment as chief accounting officer, and for Paramount Pictures as the controller of the Motion Picture Group.
“I’ve always had an immense passion for optimizing and scaling accounting frameworks to strengthen companies for the new fiscal landscape ahead,” Pierantoni said. “I’m impressed by Fair’s unique ability to transform the mobility space, and am excited to join as it prepares for its next bold stages.”
Fair founder and chief executive officer Scott Painter said, “After closing $385 million in our Series B, it's time to put that capital to work for us to buy cars and propel growth — with this new executive team providing us with important insights and leadership. Jay will eliminate execution risk and bring in operational and strategic expertise, Pat is an investor-turned-employee crusader, while John is a world-class financial and accounting expert around whom we can build a sound subscription business and strong auto insurance division.”
Painter added, “A critical part of our transformation effort is deepening our bench of talented executives to set us up for success now and into the future. The addition of Jay, Pat and John to the senior leadership team will help drive our aggressive efforts around payment, infrastructure and financial planning as we scale our flexible car ownership model internationally and make a name for ourselves on the global stage.”
After a little more than seven months, Cox Automotive has a new chief sales officer.
According to a news release distributed on Tuesday, Cox Automotive promoted Tim McKinley from his position as senior vice president of sales for Manheim to chief sales officer for Cox Automotive, reporting to president Sandy Schwartz.
Cox Automotive said McKinley replaces Sid Nair, who is returning to Texas for a new opportunity. Nair was hired as chief sales officer on Nov. 27.
As chief sales officer, McKinley will oversee the entire Cox Automotive sales operation and marketing in the U.S., comprising nearly 2,500 team members serving clients across the country. He will continue the work of creating a unified Cox Automotive sales team and streamlining sales operations across the company to best serve clients and drive growth.
With 30-plus years of leadership experience, Cox Automotive described McKinley as a “visionary leader with robust sales and industry expertise, as well as proven results leading major transformational initiatives in large organizations.”
In addition, the company added, “McKinley’s passion for developing and engaging employees at all levels will assist him as he implements new ways to sell across brands, expands opportunities with clients and makes doing business easier across Cox Automotive.”
Since 2014, McKinley has led the sales organization at Manheim, contributing to revenue growth of $1 billion during a time of tremendous transformation for the company.
“Tim is an inspiring leader who is deeply committed to building a strong team that’s well-equipped to provide outstanding service to our clients,” Schwartz said. “He has a consistent track record of success in a variety of key leadership positions across both Cox Automotive and Cox Communications.
“We are focused on delivering a world-class client and team member experience, while expanding our leadership position in the marketplace. Tim is the perfect choice to continue driving this effort forward,” Schwartz continued.
Before joining Manheim, McKinley served as vice president of sales and field operations for Cox Communications commercial services organization in the company’s Eastern U.S. markets.
McKinley also served in a number of leadership roles during his 21 years with Sprint, ultimately leading a team of 3,500 who provided all support services for Sprint Business.
“I am so excited to lead this tremendous team of sales and marketing professionals, and I love working with our clients,” McKinley said.
“Right now, we’re experiencing the most significant evolution our industry has seen in decades, and I truly believe Cox Automotive offers the best end-to-end solutions clients need to manage their business now and into the future,” he went on to say.
Within a week of promoting an executive to be its senior vice president, chief innovation and technology officer, Lithia Motors looked within its ranks again to find its next senior vice president and chief financial officer.
The dealer group announced on Tuesday that it has promoted Tina Miller to the SVP and CFO position.
Lithia said Miller has held a variety of accounting, financial and audit leadership roles of increasing responsibility at the company for nearly 15 years. Most recently, she served as chief accounting officer and interim principal financial officer.
In her new role, Lithia explained Miller will oversee the accounting, tax, corporate finance, financial planning and analysis, risk management and treasury functions.
“Tina’s finance and accounting leadership and her talented teams have been instrumental in us achieving sector-leading growth while maintaining low leverage,” Lithia president and chief executive officer Bryan DeBoer said.
“After a nationwide search, we are pleased to be able to promote from within our company and we welcome Tina’s perspectives to our senior management team,” DeBoer continued.
“Financial discipline is foundational to our unique growth strategy,” DeBoer added. "Tina’s acute understanding of our capital philosophy, operating model, proprietary performance measurements and network optimization plans will help us accelerate our efforts to increase market share.”
As previously mentioned, Lithia also elevated another executive when it picked George Hines to be senior vice president, chief innovation and technology officer.
Online car-shopping site Edmunds has promoted Stephen Felisan to chief technology officer, and in his new position, he will lead Edmunds’ 152-member technology organization.
Felisan, who was Edmunds’ director of engineering before his promotion to vice president of engineering and operations and eventually to his most recent role as chief information officer, will oversee all engineering functions, cloud and security operations, data statistics, and enterprise services.
Prior to starting with Edmunds 14 years ago, Felisan was CIO at LearningFramework Inc. He also served in different technology roles at House of Blues Entertainment Inc.
The Edmunds technology team helps create and maintain what the company describes as “one of the largest and most popular automotive research sites in the world.”
Edmunds says its engineers are “data-driven, agile and forward-thinking” and develop various cutting-edge technologies.
The company plans for Felisan to “strengthen and elevate the company’s culture of engineering excellence” in his new role and to deliver infrastructure supporting Edmunds’ mission of simplifying the car buying process.
“We can't think of a better person than Stephen to lead our technology team into the future,” Edmunds president Seth Berkowitz said in a news release. “Aside from having a proven track record of success at Edmunds, he’s also an excellent leader and dedicated to our mission of creating the fastest and easiest place to shop for a car online.”
On Tuesday, Morrie’s Automotive Group announced the appointment of Lance Iserman as chief executive officer of the organization that represents 14 brands at 13 different dealership locations.
Iserman brings more than 30 years of leadership experience in the automotive dealership industry to his new role as CEO of Morrie’s. Most recently, Iserman served as chief operating officer at AutoNation.
Iserman will assume the CEO role beginning on July 1, according to a news release.
“Morrie’s is a great company with exceptional people and a sterling reputation built over the last 50 years,” Iserman said. “Morrie’s tenured team and strong culture are key advantages as the industry continues to become more competitive. I’m thrilled to be joining Morrie’s as we look to build on its solid foundation and continue to grow in the years ahead.”
Following the appointment of Iserman, Morrie’s interim CEO Ken Czubay will remain a board adviser.
“We could not have found a better person to assume the CEO position than Lance,” Czubay said. “He has all the tools and experience to be hugely successful and I look forward to actively supporting him as he transitions to his new role.”
Iserman joined AutoNation in 2001 as a CFS director and progressed through increasingly senior roles, including general sales manager, general manager, market president and region president. Earlier in his career, he held various roles in the automotive industry at Midway Auto Team and VanTuyl Automotive Group.
Morrie’s has dealerships located in Minnesota and Wisconsin, representing:
—Aston Martin
—Audi
—Bentley
—Cadillac
—Ford
—Genesis
—Hyundai
—Lincoln
—Mazda
—Maserati
—Nissan
—Mercedes-Benz
—Subaru
—Volkswagen
“We carried out a rigorous nationwide selection process over the last few months,” said Alan Dachs, president of Fremont Group, which is the majority owner of Morrie’s. “We are thrilled to have found Lance. He is a highly experienced and respected operator who for more than 30 years has assumed progressively more senior management roles in the auto dealership industry.
“We look forward to working with him to build an industry-leading automotive group in the years ahead,” Dachs went on to say.
