Board of Directors

Mike Jackson has served as our Chief Executive Officer and Director since September 1999, as our Chairman of the Board since January 2003, and as our President since June 2017. Under his guidance, AutoNation secured its position as America’s largest automotive retailer, setting milestones that stand as testimony to his vision of the company as a standard-bearer for a more customer-focused, transparent and contemporary business model.

Previously, Mr. Jackson served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Mercedes-Benz USA that oversaw the German automaker’s U.S. sales operation and 311 franchised dealerships. In that role, he led a renaissance in the luxury vehicle brand’s sales and marketing efforts. He has also served as chairman of the Mercedes-Benz National Dealer Council. Fittingly, it was at a Mercedes-Benz dealership that Mr. Jackson began his automotive career, starting as a technician for the dealership.

Mike Jackson’s achievements have been widely recognized by his peers. In 2009, Automotive News named Mr. Jackson one of the “Fifty Visionary Dealers” of all time. In 2011, Mr. Jackson was named one of the top 50 Global Business Leaders by Fortune Magazine. In January 2012, The Detroit Free Press announced that Mike Jackson was awarded the 2011 National Retail Leadership Award by the Detroit Free Press in conjunction with the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS). Mr. Jackson has also been recognized as a ten-time member of the Automotive News “All-Star Team” of automotive executives. Mr. Jackson serves as trustee for Nova Southeastern University. Mike Jackson was named a 2014 recipient of the prestigious Horatio Alger Award, presented to Americans who overcome adversity to achieve success. In 2015, Mike Jackson was inducted into Saint Joseph’s University’s Haub School of Business Hall of Fame.

His business acumen has been recognized beyond the automotive industry, as well. In 2014, he began a three-year term as a Director for the Atlanta Federal Reserve Board of Directors, and in November of that year, his role was elevated to vice chair of its board of directors for the U.S. southeast region. Most recently, Mr. Jackson was appointed Chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta’s Board of Directors.

Mr. Jackson is noted as a vocal and compelling advocate for an enhanced energy policy, and in 2010 he was chosen to offer guidance to members of the federal leadership on the future of the U.S. automotive retail industry in a changing economy. He has earned a reputation for taking early and bold positions favoring technological advances in automotive engineering, championing the use of fuel-efficient vehicles, hybrids and electric cars. He has presented his views on energy policy, U.S. economic policy and domestic policy at the William J. Clinton School of Public Policy, the Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations, the North American International Powertrain Conference and the NADA OESA conference. He is a special contributor to the CNBC, Fox, and Bloomberg business news networks.

Rick L. Burdick has served as a Director of the Company since May 1991. He chairs the Board’s Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee and is a member of its Compensation Committee. Since 1988, Mr. Burdick has been a partner in Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, L.L.P., a global full service law firm. Mr. Burdick is managing partner (international) of the firm. Mr. Burdick also serves as Lead Director of CBIZ, Inc. (formerly, Century Business Services, Inc.), a provider of outsourced business services to small and medium-sized companies in the United States.

Tomago Collins has served as one of our directors since October, 2014 and is a member of the Board's Technology Committee and Audit Committee. Since July 2012, Mr. Collins has served as Vice President, Communications of Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (“Kroenke”), which owns and operates a multi-billion dollar portfolio of real estate, sports franchises and cable networks. Mr. Collins has served in various positions at Kroenke since August 2003, including as Vice President, Media from November 2010 until July 2012 and as Vice President, Media & Player Development from October 2008 until November 2010. Mr. Collins serves as a director of Republic Services, Inc.

David B. Edelson has served as a Director of the Company since July 2008 and is a member of the Board's Audit Committee and Finance Committee. Mr. Edelson is Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Loews Corporation (NYSE: L), a diversified holding company with subsidiaries in the property-casualty insurance, offshore drilling, natural gas transmission and storage, natural gas exploration and production, and lodging industries. He joined Loews in May 2005 and became its Chief Financial Officer in May 2014. Prior to joining Loews, Mr. Edelson was Executive Vice President & Corporate Treasurer of JPMorgan Chase & Co. He was named Corporate Treasurer in April 2001 and promoted to Executive Vice President in February 2003. Mr. Edelson spent the first 15 years of his career as an investment banker, first with Goldman Sachs & Co. and subsequently with JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Robert R. Grusky has served as a Director of the Company since June 2006 and chairs the Board's Audit Committee. In 2000, Mr. Grusky founded Hope Capital Management, LLC, an investment management firm for which he serves as Managing Member. He co-founded New Mountain Capital, LLC, a private equity and public equity investment management firm, in 2000 and was a Principal, Managing Director and Member of New Mountain Capital from 2000 to 2005 and has been a Senior Advisor since then. From 1998 to 2000, Mr. Grusky served as President of RSL Investments Corporation, the primary investment vehicle for the Hon. Ronald S. Lauder. Prior thereto, Mr. Grusky served in a variety of capacities at Goldman, Sachs & Co. in its Mergers & Acquisitions Department and Principal Investment Area. Mr. Grusky is a director of Strayer Education, Inc., an education services company. From August 2008 to December 2012 he served as a director of AutoZone, Inc.

Kaveh Khosrowshahi has served as one of our directors since October, 2015 and is a member of the Board’s Finance Committee and Technology Committee. Since 2002, Mr. Khosrowshahi has served as a Partner and Managing Director of Allen & Company LLC, an investment bank, and as co-head of Allen & Company LLC’s Capital Markets Group.

Michael Larson has served as a Director of the Company since February 2010 and chairs the Board's Compensation Committee and is a member of its Finance Committee. On May 8, 2013, Mr. Larson was elected by the Board to be its Lead Independent Director. Mr. Larson serves as the chief investment officer for William H. Gates III, a position he has held since 1994. He is responsible for Mr. Gates’ non-Microsoft investments as well as the investments of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust. He serves as a director of Republic Services, Inc., EcoLab, and Fomento Economico Mexicano, S.A.B. de C.V. In addition, he is Chairman of the Board of Trustees of two funds within the Western Asset Management fund complex.

G. Mike Mikan has served as one of our directors since March 2013, chairs the Board’s Finance Committee, and is a member of the Board's Compensation Committee and Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee. He has served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of SHOT-ROCK CAPITAL, LLC, a private investment capital group, since January 2015. From January 2013 until December 2014, he served as President of ESL Investments, Inc. Mr. Mikan served as the Interim Chief Executive Officer of Best Buy Co., Inc. from April 2012 until September 2012. From November 1998 through February 2012, he served in various executive positions at UnitedHealth Group Incorporated, including as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer and as Chief Executive Officer of UnitedHealth’s Optum subsidiary. Mr. Mikan serves as a director of Princeton Private Investment Fund. He served as a director of Best Buy from April 2008 until December 2012.

Alison H. Rosenthal has served as one of our directors since March 2011. She chairs the Board's Technology Committee and is a member of its Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee. Ms. Rosenthal is founding partner of Moxie Works, a technology investment group. Since March 2017, she has served as a member of the Advisory Board of Wealthfront, Inc., an automated investment service. From September 2014 to January 2017, she served as Wealthfront’s Vice President of Strategic Partnerships. In May 2015, Ms. Rosenthal was appointed by President Obama as a Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship. From July 2013 until August 2014, Ms. Rosenthal served as Chief Operating Officer of MessageMe, a company that develops and offers a multimedia messaging application for mobile devices. Prior to that, she served as Executive in Residence at Greylock Partners, a leading venture capital firm, from December 2011 until July 2013.

From February 2006 until January 2011, Ms. Rosenthal led various initiatives in the Business Development Department at Facebook, Inc., where she served as Senior Manager from February 2006 until July 2008 and as Head of the Global Operator Program, Mobile from July 2008 until January 2011. Ms. Rosenthal also served as an associate at General Atlantic Partners, LLC, a global private equity fund focused on IT, from February 2001 until June 2003 and as an analyst at Goldman, Sachs & Co., a leading global investment banking and securities firm, from July 1998 until July 2000.

Jacqueline A. Travisano has served as one of our directors since April 2018 and is a member of the Board’s Audit Committee and Technology Committee. She is the Executive Vice President for Business and Finance and Chief Operating Officer of the University of Miami, a private research university. From 2011 to 2017, Ms. Travisano served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Nova Southeastern University.