After nearly three decades in the auto retail industry showered with successful startups and distinguished executive roles, Cox Automotive’s COO, Mark O’Neil will end his prolific career in February of next year as first reported by Automotive News.
O’Neil began his tenure in the automotive industry as President of Ertley MotorWorld, an automotive group responsible for bringing together eight car bands under one roof, with an extended inventory to make the car-buying experience easier. This served as inspiration for his next big venture, CarMax, the nation’s largest and most popular used-car retailer.
However, it was his auto dealer software company, DealerTrack that caught the eye of Cox Automotive. DealerTrack is a forward-thinking provider of integrated dealership technologies and F&I software. Following a $4.5 billion acquisition in late 2015, Cox Automotive brought on O’Neil as COO to manage and respond to the changing customer experience.
In a speech earlier this spring at the Automotive Forum in New York, O’Neil has this to say, “Click to buy is definitely where we want and need to go in automotive. Success in retail can only be achieved by giving consumers options that enable the buying experience that they want.”
Under the Cox umbrella, DealerTrack has flourished and O’Neil believes now is a good time to pursue other interests like spending more time with his family, traveling, and doing charity work.
“I turned 60 this year, and that’s really a reflective moment,” O’Neil told Auto Remarketing. “I feel like it’s a great time in terms of where Cox Automotive is and its transition into the next generation of automotive.”
Cox Automotive certainly is growing stronger in its transition, thanks to visionaries like O’Neil. His retirement will be felt strongly through the company, but new and exciting things are on the horizon for both parties.
Photo Credit: J.D. Power & Assoc.
