Jared Rowe is now back in the trenches of automotive marketing and with a company where his career started.

AutoWeb, which previously operated a Autobytel and a provider of digital automotive services connecting in-market car buyers with dealers and OEMs, appointed Rowe as director, president and chief executive officer on Thursday, succeeding Jeffrey Coats in a move effective immediately.

Rowe brings more than two decades of key management experience across the automotive and marketing industries, holding senior positions at FordDirect, Cox Automotive and Cerberus-backed YP Holdings.

As president of YP Holdings, Rowe was instrumental in the improvement of YellowPages.com’s business operations and its eventual sale to Dex Media in 2017. While at Cox Automotive, Rowe served as president of the Media Solutions Group, where he was responsible for leading the Autotrader, Kelley Blue Book, Dealer.com and Haystack businesses.

“Jared has a strong track record of successfully implementing strategic plans to revitalize automotive businesses competing in the e-commerce industry,” AutoWeb chairman Michael Fuchs said. “His leadership and restructuring at YP Holdings and Cox Automotive led to material operating improvements and enhanced competitive positioning.

“Jared will be an invaluable addition to our company as he shares our vision of delivering the highest quality marketing products to dealers and OEMs,” Fuchs said.

This will be Rowe’s second stint with AutoWeb, as he previously served as manager of strategic business development in 1998.

“It’s been nearly 20 years since I kicked off my digital marketing career at the former Autobytel,” Rowe said. “I am excited to rejoin AutoWeb to lead the continued evolution of this digital marketing platform that specializes in providing OEMs and dealers with high-quality, performance managed campaigns.

“It is important to provide our clients with detailed attribution that enables them to understand the value and ROI our services and products provide,” he continued.

“We have a solid foundation to build from with an established brand, advanced technology, an extremely talented team and clients that value the quality of our products,” Rowe said.

“I look forward to leveraging my experiences to help return AutoWeb to growth by introducing new strategies and initiatives that I believe will unlock the company’s full potential and maximize shareholder value,” he added.

Fuchs shard his appreciation of Coats’ contribution to AutoWeb during a span that lasted more than 20 years.

“I would like to thank Jeff Coats for his many years of service and dedication to AutoWeb. He has been an exceptional CEO for more than a decade and a valued board member since 1996,” Fuchs said.

“We look forward to continuing to work with Jeff as he assists Jared during a transition period as a consultant. We wish him the best in his future endeavors,” Fuchs went on to say.