Bob Brockman, the former CEO of dealership management system giant Reynolds and Reynolds Co. who was indicted in what federal prosecutors called the largest-ever tax case against an individual in U.S. history, has died at 81. Brockman died Friday at home in Houston, according to his attorney, Kathy Keneally. Brockman was a self-taught computer programmer
Some of the nation’s large public franchised dealership groups say they continue to make progress with their digital retailing initiatives, reaching more consumers and logging more sales. Groups such as Lithia Motors and Group 1 Automotive, with their own branded online sales platforms, reported thousands of digital transactions in the second quarter. Others, such as
CDK Global Inc. has long been the biggest U.S. dealership management system provider, but the company does not intend to rest there. With new entrants and established providers working to win more dealers’ business, the DMS market is “very competitive,” said Brian MacDonald, CDK’s former CEO who returned to the role last month on an
After working to develop digital retailing at Ford Motor Co., longtime automaker executive Matt VanDyke is now looking to accelerate online sales throughout the broader auto industry. In June, VanDyke left Ford after 14 years, primarily in marketing roles, to become president of Shift Digital. VanDyke, who was CEO of the FordDirect joint venture with
I saw a news release some months ago about a franchised dealership group that created a brand for a digital sales tool it was rolling out for used vehicles. What interested me was the fact that the retailer, Titus-Will Automotive Group, didn’t use its established brand name to go to market with its new online
Van Horn Automotive Group has had a digital retailing presence since before the pandemic began in 2020, with the goal of selling vehicles to consumers entirely online. The group, with 19 dealerships in Wisconsin and Iowa, initially drew on its established brand name and called its offering Van Horn Direct. But the process turned out
CDK Global Inc., under new ownership, is looking to its past for new leadership to fulfill the company’s future vision. The Hoffman Estates, Ill., dealership technology company last week named former CEO Brian MacDonald to fill the role on an acting basis. MacDonald, 57, led the company from January 2016 to November 2018 and succeeds
Brian Kramer spent 28 years in auto retail, 19 of them as a dealership general manager with Germain Motor Co. and AutoNation Inc. Last month, he entered the dealership software side of the business, leaving his role as general manager of Germain Toyota of Naples in Florida to join Cars.com as executive vice president and
In June, Amy Hitch started a new job at a larger dealership group. As finance manager of three Laura Auto Group stores in Sullivan, Mo., Hitch aims to improve her skills so she can grow within her role. She got her start in auto finance and learned a lot in 10 years at her previous
Since joining the industry in 2006, Michael Lefthand has spent his entire auto retail career in the Internet department. He likes the role, he says, because it’s always changing. One big change? The way customers communicate. Lefthand, business development manager at SeaView Jeep and SeaBreeze Ford in New Jersey, has placed more emphasis in recent
