CITY OF INDUSTRY, Calif. – Autel North America, a provider of diagnostic tools, equipment and services for the automotive aftermarket, has announced that Art Jacobsen has joined the company as CEO. 
“Mr. Jacobsen’s industry credentials and expertise in business development, strategy and top-line corporate growth uniquely qualify him to lead our business in the world’s largest automotive market,” said Hongjing Li, Autel board chairman. “Given the new products we have in the pipeline and our current exponential growth, we are very pleased to welcome Mr. Jacobsen as we maximize the future growth of Autel.”
As CEO, Jacobsen will be responsible for all North American operations, including the launch of innovative new products. He will play a key role in building and developing relationships and partnerships that will introduce Autel products and services to a larger marketplace, new sales channels and retail partners.
“A relentless commitment to cutting-edge technology and continuous innovation has uniquely positioned Autel for success in the North American market,” said Jacobsen. “The company’s full-featured OBDII scan tools and code readers are best-in-class and backed up by industry reviews that speak for themselves. With a broad array of category-leading products already in place and a roster of new products in the pipeline, I couldn’t be more pleased with the opportunity to lead Autel North America.”
Jacobsen is a 23-year veteran of the automotive industry and a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). In his previous role, he guided a start-up automotive company from $500,000 in annual sales to well over $18 million in just three years. He also spent over a decade at Honda Research and Development where he specialized in data calibration relating to engine controls, on-board diagnostics and emission control technology. He was the engine project leader for the 1998 Honda Civic, 2001 Acura MDX and 2003 Honda Pilot. Jacobsen holds several patents in on-board diagnostics as well as emission control algorithms and techniques.
He also is a frequent public speaker and expert in vehicle maintenance, emissions and safety programs, the Right to Repair Act, vehicle on-board diagnostics, engine control technologies and their role in emissions reduction. Jacobsen holds a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering from The Ohio State University.
