TrueCar has hired AutoAlert chief executive officer Brian Skutta to be its executive vice president of dealer sales and service.

The position is a newly created one designed to “strengthen relationships and improve services across the TrueCar Certified Dealer network,” the company said in Friday’s news release.

Skutta will move into the position on Feb. 29 and report to TrueCar president and CEO Chip Perry.

Skutta has been CEO of AutoAlert since 2014, and prior roles include heading up the launch and growth of the Trade-In Marketplace at what is now known as Autotrader, and his post as vice president and general manager of VINSolutions after Autotrader’s purchase of the company.

(Perry started AutoTrader.com and became its first employee in 1997. He held that CEO post until 2013. He moved into his TrueCar leadership role on Dec. 15.)

“Brian has an outstanding track record of building innovative digital marketing solutions for dealers and helping them maximize their results from these solutions through strong customer service,” Perry said in the release. “I’m confident that he’ll successfully lead the upcoming expansion of our dealer sales and service teams which is a major part of our strategy for improving the value we provide our dealer customers.”

Skutta added: “The opportunity to help advance the TrueCar brand to better serve the needs of both dealers and consumers is exciting. As TrueCar’s dynamic platform evolves, I’ll focus on bringing greater balance to the needs of the company’s more than 11,000 Certified Dealers and ensuring that they are maximizing the value TrueCar provides.”