Management

H. Wayne Huizenga, founder of AutoNation retired from the company to focus on his private entrepreneurial activities on May 12, 2004.

Mr. Huizenga and his vision provided the driving force behind the formation and rapid growth of his company. Moreover, it was his recognition that consumers expected and deserved better from automotive retailers that allowed us to set the standard of excellence for the industry. We will always value his guidance and insight.

We are dedicated to continuing his commitment to transform our industry, providing our customers and shareholders the performance they expect from the industry leader.

Mike Jackson is widely regarded as one the most influential and effective automotive business leaders of our generation. Over the course of a career spanning nearly five decades, he has earned a reputation as a relentless innovator, with many of the initiatives he championed becoming bedrock practices across the industry today. In particular, he is known as a driving force behind retailers’ adoption of contemporary operating practices, including their embrace of online platforms, advanced technology, environmentally responsible engineering and customer-first service processes, among others.

In acknowledgement of his accomplishments, he has been widely honored by industry peers, journalists, the business community, academic institutions, philanthropic organizations and beyond. Among his most notable recognitions, he has been:

• Honored as CEO of the Year by CEO magazine, 2006
• Listed by Automotive News as one of the Fifty Visionary Dealers of all time, 2009
• Named one of the top 50 Global Business Leaders in 2011 by Fortune magazine
• Received National Retail Leadership Award by the Detroit Free Press in conjunction with the North American International Auto Show, 2011
• Bestowed honorary doctorate from the Livingstone College, 2011
• Inducted into the Wayne Huizenga School of Business Entrepreneur Hall of Fame, 2010
• Named eleven-time member of the Automotive News “All-Star Team” of automotive executives
• Granted the prestigious Horatio Alger Award, presented to Americans who overcome adversity to achieve success, 2014
• Inducted in to the Saint Joseph’s University’s Haub School of Business Hall of Fame, 2015
• Received the Saint Joseph’s University Beta Gamma Sigma Business Achievement Award, 2015
• Appointed Chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta’s Board of Directors, 2018
• Inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame, 2018
• Ranked by Motor Trend magazine as number seven on the 2019 Power List for being a “Game Changer” in the Automotive landscape

In addition to these accolades, he is widely sought after as a speaker and media personality for his thoughts on the auto industry in particular and the wider economy in general. 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.

Many of his most distinguished honors came during his tenure as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of AutoNation, the company he guided for nearly 20 years. Under his direction, AutoNation strengthened its position as the largest automotive retailer in America – in fact, the largest auto retailer in the history of American car sales – with a list of milestones and metrics that are testimony to its unprecedented scale and influence.

In particular, the company is the first and only automotive retailer to have sold 12 million vehicles. It is the only automotive retailer to be named America’s Most Admired Automotive Retailer by Fortune Magazine six times. And the first to introduce customer-focused efforts such as a green vehicle identification program, a truly transparent financing process and a full-spectrum online car shopping experience across a national dealership network.

His success at AutoNation represents the realization of Mr. Jackson’s vision for a retail environment that combines the potential of today’s advanced technology with the best practices from a broad range of retail industries. The end result has been a thorough transformation of what it means to buy, sell and service vehicles for millions of Americans in markets from coast to coast.

This vision had its roots even earlier in his career. Prior to his role at AutoNation, Mr. Jackson served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Mercedes-Benz USA, overseeing the German automaker’s U.S. sales operation and 311 franchised dealerships. In that role, he developed operational, sales and service strategies that led directly to the luxury vehicle brand’s rejuvenation in the U.S. He also has 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 a dealership before advancing to management positions.

Mr. Jackson attended Saint Joseph’s College in Philadelphia, earning his degree in political science in 1971. His is married to Alice Lucia-Jackson and has three children, Michael, Kristina and Lauren.

Carl Liebert is the Chief Executive Officer and President of AutoNation, America’s largest automotive retailer. Mr. Liebert also serves as a member of AutoNation’s Board of Directors.

Mr. Liebert is a global business leader with more than 30 years of experience leading customer-centric transformations and creating shareholder value.

Most recently he served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for USAA’s business operations functions, including USAA’s Bank, Investment, Life, Property and Casualty, Real Estate Investment Companies and member contact functions. His responsibilities included delivering an integrated digital experience through USAA’s website, tablet, mobile devices, voice and emerging channels.

Prior to joining USAA, Mr. Liebert was the President and Chief Executive Officer of 24-Hour Fitness, overseeing the operations of 415 fitness clubs across the United States and Asia. Mr. Liebert was also an Executive Vice President for The Home Depot, where he oversaw the sales, strategy, execution, future supply chain, global sourcing strategy, and operations across more than 2,000 international stores, and 250,000 employees. Mr. Liebert has also held leadership roles with General Electric and Circuit City.

Mr. Liebert has a strong commitment to serving others. He currently serves as a board member for the V Foundation for Cancer Research, the Naval Academy Foundation Athletic & Scholarship Program, the Naval War College Foundation, and is an advisor for the Naval Academy’s Vice Admiral James B. Stockdale Center for Ethical Leadership. Prior roles include supporting the Veterans of Foreign Wars Foundation Board of Directors and the Deming Center for Quality, Productivity and Competitiveness at Columbia Business School. Mr. Liebert is a former U.S. Navy Officer. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy with a BS in Physical Science, and he obtained his MBA from Vanderbilt University, Owen Graduate School of Management.

Scott Arnold is Executive Vice President of Customer Care and Brand Extensions. In his role, Mr. Arnold serves as a member of the company’s Executive Committee and is responsible for the organization’s service, wholesale & retail parts, collision repair, as well as AutoNation’s Brand Extensions.

Mr. Arnold has 40 years of automotive retail experience and has held various positions within the automotive retail industry, including, General Manager, Market President, Region Vice President-Customer Care, and most recently, Senior Vice President-Customer Care. He previously served as a multi-store General Manager and as the on-site Dealer Principal for Lithia Motors Inc.

In 2015, Mr. Arnold joined the Corporate Team at AutoNation as Vice President of Customer Care. Under his leadership, AutoNation has developed and launched the automotive retail industry’s first private label parts and accessories product-lines, AutoNation Auto Gear and AutoNation Precision Parts.

Mr. Arnold’s philosophy is, “keep things simple,” simplify things for both the customer and the associate. By keeping things simple, the Customer Care teams are focused on one common element, delivering a peerless customer experience.

Mr. Arnold continues to change the paradigm of traditional automotive retail service to drive unmatched brand loyalty.

Jim Bender has served as our Executive Vice President of Sales since January 2019. Mr. Bender is responsible for new and used vehicle sales, as well as Customer Financial Services and manufacturer relations. Prior to becoming Executive Vice President, Mr. Bender served as Region President of our Eastern Region, with responsibility for the states of Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Virginia, Tennessee, Ohio, and Maryland from February 2015 until December 2018, and as President of our Florida region from April 2004 until January 2015. Mr. Bender joined AutoNation in April 2000.

Before joining AutoNation, Mr. Bender he spent 23 years with Holman Enterprises, global leader of automotive services based in New Jersey with a strong retail presence in South Florida. Mr. Bender has extensive experience in automotive retail. Mr. Bender has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Canisius College.

Marc Cannon has served as our Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer since January 2017. Mr. Cannon is responsible for Marketing, Communications, Customer Service, AutoNation.com, and Public Policy. From February 2016 until January 2017, he served as our Chief Marketing Officer, Senior Vice President of Communications and Public Policy, and from February 2007 until February 2016, he served as our Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications.

Mr. Cannon has more than 30 years of executive-level experience as an automotive industry communications, branding, advertising, and public policy professional. Notably, he directs the company’s broad range of communications – to investors, the industry, the media, and the marketplace.

During his tenure with AutoNation, Mr. Cannon has been instrumental in the growth of the company into the country’s largest and most successful automotive retailer. In particular, he supervised the brand launch of AutoNation’s Coast-to-Coast initiative and part of the executive team that launched AutoNation Express, an industry leading transactional digital platform, which seamlessly integrates the customer’s in-store and online experience. Mr. Cannon also spearheaded the company’s multi-year mission to raise funds to fight cancer, and he has successfully positioned the company as the leading voice in automotive retail.

Prior to joining AutoNation, Mr. Cannon served as Chief Marketing Officer and Senior Vice President of Marketing for Blue Dot Services, a national network of home repair and services contractors. He also served as Vice President of Internal Communications for Republic Industries, Vice President of Marketing, Advertising and Communications for AutoNation USA, and Vice President of Advertising for Alamo Rent A Car. During his tenure with Alamo, Mr. Cannon was part of the team that grew the company from 15 to over 100 locations nationwide, expanded the company into Europe and developed the “Where all the miles are free” campaign, a pioneering advertising and operational effort that changed the way vehicles are rented in the United States.

Mr. Cannon has a bachelor’s degree in public affairs from the University of Miami. He is a member of the Arthur Page Society, the most distinguished honor society in the communications industry, and he serves on the University of Florida Public Relations Advisory Council. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Automotive Hall of Fame and was honored by Automotive News with the All Stars Award for Public Relations/Communications, the only recipient from an automotive retailer to be granted this honor.

Coleman Edmunds has served as our Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary since April 2017. In addition to his role as General Counsel, Mr. Edmunds assumed responsibility for Human Resources and Corporate Development in January 2019. Mr. Edmunds serves as the Chairman of the company’s Employee Benefits Committee and is a member of company’s the Business Ethics Committee and Risk Review Committee. From October 2007 to March 2017, Mr. Edmunds served as our Senior Vice President, Deputy General Counsel and Assistant Secretary. Prior to joining AutoNation, Mr. Edmunds was in private practice with the international law firm of Baker & McKenzie.

As chief legal advisor for the company, Mr. Edmunds oversees all aspects of AutoNation's legal affairs, including securities law, mergers and acquisitions, commercial transactions, litigation, compliance, manufacturer relations and government relations. He also serves as the Corporate Secretary of the company and the chief legal advisor to the Board of Directors. Mr. Edmunds joined AutoNation in November 1996.

Mr. Edmunds holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Virginia, a law degree from the University of Richmond, and a masters of law degree (taxation) from the University of Miami. Mr. Edmunds currently serves, or has served, on various industry, civic and charitable boards and committees, including the Florida Chamber of Commerce, the National Automobile Dealers Association, Florida Automobile Dealers Association, the Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce, the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival, and the Orange Bowl Committee.

Cheryl Miller has served as our Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer since March 2014. Ms. Miller is a member of the company’s Executive Committee and has responsibility for all financial functions and corporate strategy, as well as corporate real estate services and benefits. She was appointed Interim Chief Financial Officer in January 2014, and she served as Treasurer and Vice President of Investor Relations from April 2010 to March 2014. Ms. Miller also serves as a director and Chair of the Audit Committee of Tyson Foods, Inc., one of the world’s largest food companies and a member of the S&P 500.

Under her financial leadership, AutoNation has reached a number of significant milestones, including achieving its lowest SG&A as a percentage of gross profit in its corporate history. In addition, it was under her guidance that AutoNation has become the only automotive retailer to earn investment-grade status from Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s Investors Service, and Fitch Ratings. She established an internal Controller University to develop future financial talent, and she has championed a vigorous and growing focus on enterprise and cyber risk management.

Ms. Miller has more than 20 years of corporate finance experience in consumer-focused industries and experience in such key areas as acquisitions, cybersecurity, e-commerce and public company shareholder relations. Prior to Ms. Miller’s tenure at AutoNation, she served as Vice President and Treasurer for JM Family Enterprises, Inc., a diversified automotive company, and ION Media Networks. She also previously held financial management positions at Republic Industries and its successor companies of AutoNation, Alamo/National car rental, as well as Circuit City Stores.

Ms. Miller holds a bachelor's degree in finance and business administration from James Madison University. She has received numerous honors, including the Florida Diversity Council's Glass Ceiling Award and CFO of the Year by the South Florida Business Journal. She has been listed as a Director to Watch in the 2018 Directors and Boards Journal, one of 30 Outstanding Women in Finance by Treasury & Risk magazine, one of the nation's top female CFOs by Business Insider magazine, a member of the 2017 All-America Executive Team in the Midcap Best CFOs category by Institutional Investor magazine and one of the 100 Leading Women in the North American Automotive Industry by Automotive News. She is an advisory board member for the Florida Institute of CFOs and serves a director and member of the investment committee for the Broward Performing Arts Foundation.

Steve Kwak is the Western Region President for Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, Texas, and Washington. In his role, Mr. Kwak is responsible for the Region’s approximately 150 new vehicle franchises, AutoNation USA dealerships and Collision Centers and their over 14,000 associates. Prior to being promoted to Region President, Mr. Kwak held roles as Market President for the Los Angeles County, Nevada, and Orange County Markets. He brings over 20 years of success in the automotive retail space.

Mr. Kwak has a long history with AutoNation from joining the Company as a Sales Manager and has worked his way up through being a General Manager at several of our Acura, Chevrolet and Mercedes Benz stores. He was also formerly an operating partner of his own Audi and Toyota dealerships. Mr. Kwak has served several terms as a Board Member for the California New Car Dealers Association.