ATLANTA -

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.