AutoWeb has created a new role titled vice president of strategy and development, and announced Wednesday that hired for the position is Mark Ugar.

Ugar was most recently the senior vice president of business development and strategic partnerships at YP Holdings. His background also includes time with media and tech companies like Hearst Corp. and Microsoft/MSN.

“Mark brings a wealth of experience in corporate development and strategic planning to AutoWeb,” AutoWeb president and chief executive Jared Rowe said in a news release. “In this new role, Mark will oversee all of our strategic partnerships and manage corporate and business development initiatives across the organization.

“This role is imperative as our approach to partnerships needs to be retooled to ensure that we stay in front of the changing digital media and automotive retail landscape. Further, Mark’s strategic planning efforts will ensure that we are continuously adapting to meet the needs of consumers and effectively compete for our clients’ marketing budgets,” Rowe said. 

Ugar added: “AutoWeb’s digital marketing platform has proven to be a highly-efficient advertising solution for OEMs and dealers across the country. I look forward to leading AutoWeb’s business development efforts and revitalizing its strategic partnerships, while implementing the necessary strategic planning functions to ensure our platform remains at the forefront of the automotive shopping experience.”