Hyundai Motor America announced today it has chosen a new vice president and chief marketing officer.
Picked for the position is Dean Evans, the former chief marketing officer of Subaru of America and a veteran of such companies as LotLinx, Dealer.com and Dealix.com.
Evans will now be responsible for all Hyundai marketing and advertising activities in the U.S., and will officially be joining the company on Aug. 17.
The new marketing officer will report to Dave Zuchowski, president and chief executive officer of Hyundai Motor America.
"Dean has a remarkable background, which will prove invaluable to Hyundai as our company moves forward in the ever-changing auto market," said Zuchowski. "Dean's proven results-driven approach; a positive, inspiring leadership style; and wide-ranging experience in dealerships, digital marketing and automakers, make him a most valuable addition to the Hyundai executive team."
The company pointed out Evans is known for his work in brand building and implementing innovative digital marketing programs to drive demand.
He has also been at the helm of several automotive digital marketing start-ups, including serving as CEO of LotLinx Inc.; VP of marketing of Dealer.com, now a Cox Automotive company; and VP of marketing of Dealix.com.
"I am excited to join the world-class Hyundai team. Under Dave Zuchowski's inspiring leadership, along with a terrific product line, I believe we are well-positioned to grow the Hyundai brand to new heights of awareness, dimension, emotion and clarity," said Evans.
Evans brings more than 25 years of automotive experience to the company, including time in sales. In fact, he began his career as a Pontiac sales consultant in Boulder, Colo., and also spent time as a general manager at a metro Chrysler dealership, as well as at Land Rover.
In another bit of big news coming out of the digital automotive space, Cars.com founder and former president Mitch Golub has been named a director at DRIVIN, a recently launched online solution that aims to help dealers secure pre-owned cars at wholesale prices.
Cars.com has a new chief marketing officer. The company has announced that former AMD and Dell executive Colette LaForce has been named to the position and is beginning her tenure immediately.
Her duties as CMO at Cars.com include heading up brand marketing, advertising, pricing and analytics, communications, and creative services and events for Cars.com.
LaForce is based out of the Cars.com headquarters in Chicago and reports directly to Cars.com chief executive officer and president Alex Vetter.
Her most recent position was as CMO of AMD, a semiconductor provider in the digital gaming space. Before that, she held various marketing and product roles at Dell, including her post as CMO at Dell Services.
LaForce’s experience also includes nearly a decade launching startups in Silicon Valley in addition to leading Rackable Systems, which is now called SGI, to an IPO. Her career started as a software programmer at Accenture, and her experience also includes the venture capital arena.
“I am pleased to welcome Colette to the Cars.com family. She is a Silicon Valley veteran and nationally renowned CMO with more than 20 years of experience in the technology sector who will help take Cars.com to the next level,” said Vetter. “She has earned a reputation as a change agent who succeeds at driving results and consistency from her teams, and I believe she can further accelerate Cars.com’s growth as part of TEGNA.”
LaForce added: “I’m thrilled to be joining such a dynamic, growing business and one of the industry’s most beloved and trusted brands. The opportunity to help Cars.com deliver outstanding business performance through marketing innovation and best-in-class digital experiences for buyers, sellers and advertisers alike is very exciting to me.”
TPC Management Co. has brought on Charlie Vogelheim as a new partner at the firm, Auto Remarketing has learned.
Vogelheim’s 30 years in the auto business includes a wide array of leadership positions, including posts with J.D. Power, Kelley Blue Book, consulting and moderator roles with NAAA, and much more.
“We are delighted that Charlie Vogelheim is joining our team at TPC. Charlie is not only well known in the automotive remarketing industry, but is highly regarded for the insight, expertise, and innovation he has displayed through his 30-year career,” TPC president Pierre Pons said in the announcement. “He brings to our firm a new dimension that can be leveraged across our three platforms: TPC Consulting, ServNet Auctions and Auction Academy.”
Pons added: “We have been working with Charlie for several years to integrate him into our programs, and he has already made an exceptional contribution to the Auction Academy as a presenter. In officially welcoming him to our firm, we formalize a relationship that we have been developing for some time.”
Pauline Pons, TPC co-founder and vice president (and a 2015 Women in Remarketing honoree), said: “Charlie brings a passion for the automotive industry and a wealth of knowledge that will have a tremendous impact in all areas of our business. We are looking forward to working with him as he focuses on business development and industry relations as well as bolstering the services TPC currently offers to its clientele.”
Vogelheim’s roles in the auto business have included serving as vice president of J.D. Power and as executive editor at Kelley Blue Book, IntelliChoice and Motor Trend Auto Group. His experience also includes working at NAAA as an education consultant and program moderator.
Additionally, Vogelheim has worked in development of KBB.com and the auto websites of Microsoft, AOL, Yahoo and e-Bay.
He is the principal of Vogelheim Ventures, where he has worked in such initiatives as Motor Trend Audio, DrivingSales, RyanTech and Webcars.
“I have long admired TPC’s contributions to the auction industry, and I am eager to work with Pierre Pons and his team,” said Vogelheim. “We share a fundamental understanding that, as industry consultants, we need to not only examine how things have been done in the past, but to prepare for change.
“Marking the current forces at play and identifying emerging trends lead to innovation in a changing world, all important considerations for TPC’s independent clients, ServNet Auctions, and the future leaders of the industry who are being trained at Auction Academy,” he continued. “I look forward to exciting times ahead and continued success for TPC Management.”
Sonic Automotive’s board of directors announced Monday the shifting of several executive-level positions within the company, including a new chief executive officer.
Taking on the role of CEO for the group is Scott Smith, complementing his other roles.
Bruton Smith was also named as an executive chairman. David Smith will continue to serve as Sonic’s vice chairman.
Bruton Smith served as the company’s chairman and CEO since its public offering began in 1997 until today.
In the expanded role, Scott Smith, who has served as the company’s president and chief strategic officer since 2007 when he helped co-found Sonic, will work with the executive chairman, the vice chairman, executive management and the board of directors to develop the company’s strategic direction along with leading day-to-day operations and communicating with key stakeholders in the company.
As executive chairman, Bruton Smith will report directly to the board of directors while working closely with the CEO and vice chairman to engage in overall leadership and strategic direction of the company, guiding senior management, coordinating activities of the board of directors and communicating with stakeholders.
For more information about Sonic Automotive, visit its site here.
The Appraisal Lane (TAL), a trade network and communications platform for used-vehicle dealers, announced Tuesday it has hired TrueCar’s former vice president of dealer development.
Taking on the position of vice president of sales for TAL is Kenneth Potter, bringing experience from a variety of other well-known organizations, including positions such as the general manager of CarMax, the vice president of sales for Greenlight.com, the vice president and general manager of CarsDirect.com, and the chief revenue officer at SureSale.com.
Andrew Iorgulescu, TAL’s co-founder and president, as well as the former co-founder of OPENLANE, welcomes Potter to his team.
“Ken has built lasting relationships in the industry, with a proven track record of successfully growing sales and driving expansion efforts for businesses like ours,” Iorgulescu said. “He joins our team at a critical time, since we are actively rolling out our platform to targeted automotive markets offering significant growth opportunities. It’s an exciting time for the team.”
TAL’s real-time used-vehicle trade network gives dealers within its available markets the ability to post pre-owned inventory and receive cash offers within 10 minutes that remain good for seven days or 300 miles. At present time, the company’s services are available in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.
“I’m excited to join The Appraisal Lane team and I look forward to the possibilities for growth in – and enhancements to – our industry,” Potter said. “Based on our analysis, over 36 million vehicles will be appraised this year, but until now, the wholesale used-car appraisal and acquisition process was inefficient. We’re transforming this process by sourcing wholesale experts to provide dealers with the most accurate offers quickly and easily through a fully mobile-optimized platform. The end result is improved business operations and, ultimately, more car sales for dealers.”
Stay tuned to further editions of Auto Remarketing as we delve further into the operations behind The Appraisal Lane.
Online pre-owned car retailer Vroom announced today it has raised $54 million via its Series B funding round, bringing the total amount of equity funding to date up to $73 million.
This is in addition to the $19 million previously raised by Vroom during its Series A equity funding round. Some of that first-round investment was from well-known folks with automotive ties: Steve Berrard, the former president of AutoNation and Blockbuster, as well as former football player John Elway, who has also made a name for himself investing in car dealerships.
Investors for this second round of fundraising include Catterton and General Catalyst Partners as well as funds and accounts managed by T. Rowe Price Associates Inc.
Individual participants in the round also include Jeffery Boyd, the chairman and former chief executive officer of The Priceline Group, and Bob Mylod, the former chief financial officer of the same company.
Founded in 2013, Vroom reports sales for the month of May came in at $20 million, propelling it toward what it expects to be a $300 million sales year for 2015.
The online retailer provides a seven-day money-back guarantee, a no questions asked return policy, a 90-day bumper-to-bumper warranty and free shipping nationwide for both purchases and vehicles sold to them.
Mylod cited consumer confidence as one of the characteristics that helped him decide to invest.
“We see parallels to the travel and real estate industries in Vroom’s model, particularly with its focus on consumer trust,” Mylod said. “I’m looking forward to joining the Vroom board and helping the company continue to grow as the market leader in the online automotive space.”
Vroom also announced that Michael Akrop, a current Zappos executive, will be leaving his current position as vice president of finance for the online shoe and clothing shop at the end of the month to become Vroom’s chief financial officer. Michael Akrop has been with Zappos since 2006.
TrueCar announced Wednesday that it has named a new executive vice president of people as well as its chief human resources officer to lead its talent search, which the company says it has “stepped up” to keep up with its expanding business.
Joining the company from Hewlett Packard, where he has worked since 2001, is Don Robertson, who brings over 30 years of experience in human resources, business and general management to the newly created position at TrueCar.
Robertson will begin his role in August, where he will report to Scott Painter, the company’s chief executive officer and founder.
“Don’s experience in building teams, cultivating talent and aligning HR priorities to drive business results will allow him to have an immediate and meaningful impact for TrueCar as we continue on our growth trajectory,” Painter said. “He truly rounds out our leadership team, and I am confident he’ll help accelerate TrueCar’s growth by building on the remarkable foundation of people already in place.”
Robertson most recently served as the senior vice president of human resources at HP. He has also held positions at other companies including GE Capital Corp., Stanford Research Institute and The Clorox Co.
TrueCar hopes to draw the attention of “top-tier” talent from the technology industry as well as the developer community.
“I’m excited about TrueCar’s potential and the opportunity to help the company get to the next level in terms of talent,” Robertson said. “We’re going to be scaling up in all areas and my focus will be on making sure everything I sin place to make TrueCar a top destination for quality tech talent.”
KAR Auction Services executive vice president of enterprise optimization, David Vignes, announced today the promotion of Eric Zurawski.
Zurawski takes on the position of vice president of enterprise optimization, where he will be in charge of all security throughout the company. According to the company, his responsibilities will include directing and improving all auction-related security in accordance with corporate and security guidelines, policies and procedures, and managing all security resources, including the more than 2,000 security cameras at more than 100 locations across North America.
“Eric’s experience with security implementation and management and his proven track record of theft prevention make him an important asset to the company,” Vignes said. “His abilities will play a pivotal role in leading the company’s comprehensive security initiatives. We are excited to have him on board in this elevated role.”
Zurawski has been with KAR since 1997 when he joined Insurance Auto Auctions. He began there as the director of finance and treasury before transitioning into director of security.
Zurawski designed customized security camera systems, increased auction yard security and reduced overnight theft with monitored cameras during his time with IAA.
AutoAlert announced today it has promoted James Burton to the newly formed role of senior vice president, field operations.
Burton previously occupied the position of vice president of portfolio management, where he was responsible for leading the company’s dealer engagement strategy and operations.
In the newly created position, Burton will oversee AutoAlert’s sales, training, portfolio management and client care functions. The oversight provided by this position is also aimed at increasing the utilization of AutoAlert’s data-mining and sales opportunity generating platform.
Brian Skutta, the company’s chief executive officer, commented on Burton’s promotion.
“James’ ability to create strategy and drive execution for both our dealer clients and the AutoAlert team is what sets him apart as a leader,” Skutta said. “Broadening his scope of responsibility to include all consumer-facing interactions will better enable us to enhance our dealerships’ experience and performance with our profit and retention solutions.”
Burton has over 18 years of experience in the automotive industry. According to the company, he brings a proven record of accomplishment along with consistent performance and profit enhancement for the dealerships he has managed and supported.
Burton has served on several advisory boards, industry panels and OEM boards.
Enterprise Holdings announced Thursday it has now hired more than 6,000 military veterans and reservists since it joined the 100,000 Jobs Mission coalition three years ago.
Founded in 2011, the 100,000 Jobs Mission works to unite private companies that are committed to helping service members make the transition from military to civilian work life. Since its inception, starting with 11 companies, the coalition has since helped place more than 240,000 veterans into jobs.
Enterprise Holdings — consisting of Enterprise Rent-A-Car, National Car Rental and Alamo Rent A Car — is one of over 190 companies in the mission.
“Much like the military, Enterprise rewards and recognizes individuals for their performance and commitment to teamwork,” said Pam Webster, the company’s assistant vice president of talent acquisition. “The dedications, work ethic and team spirit our former service members bring to the workplace make them natural leaders at Enterprise, and we look forward to hiring even more veterans as a member of the 100,000 Jobs Mission coalition.”
The company’s support of military spans all the way back to its inception. The company is named after the U.S.S. Enterprise, one of the aircraft carriers Jack Taylor, the company’s founder, served on as a U.S. Navy pilot during World War II. Today, veterans and reservists make up nearly 10 percent of Enterprise Holdings’ total U.S. workforce.
