AutoWeb Inc., a provider of digital automotive services connecting in-market car buyers with dealers and OEMs, has appointed Jared Rowe as director, president and CEO, succeeding Jeffrey Coats.
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. 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,” said Michael Fuchs, AutoWeb chairman. “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. 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.”
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. 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,” said Rowe. “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. 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.”
Rowe holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Michigan, as well as a dual Bachelor of Business Administration degree in business management and automotive marketing from Northwood University.
