GfK announced Monday that it has chosen former Cox Automotive director of research and market intelligence Jim Ehrlich to join its Auto Syndicated study team in Los Angeles.

As a new senior vice president and account manager at GfK, Ehrlich will primarily work with West Coast automotive clients, the research firm said in a news release announcing Ehrlich’s appointment.

“We are thrilled to add someone with Jim’s credentials and strategic experience to an already strong team,” GfK commercial director for technology and durables in North America Tom Neri said in the news release. “Our Auto Syndicated study is one of GfK’s richest consumer resources in North America, and we are excited to expand the ways that a variety of clients leverage this information.”

Prior to his time at Cox Automotive, Ehrlich held product and strategic planning roles at Hyundai Motor America and Hyundai Capital America.

Ehrlich also brings experience from positions he’s held at the U.S. Census Bureau and research firms MORPACE International and Harris Interactive, according to GfK.