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. He is married to Alice Lucia-Jackson and has three children, Michael, Kristina and Lauren.

Jim Bender serves as AutoNation’s President and Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Bender is responsible for new and used vehicle sales, as well as Customer Financial Services, Customer Care, and manufacturer relations. Most recently, Mr. Bender was Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. Before becoming Executive Vice President, Mr. Bender served as Region President Eastern Region, with responsibility for over 120 locations from 2015 until 2018, and as President of our Florida region from 2004 until 2015. Mr. Bender joined AutoNation in April 2000.

Before joining AutoNation, Mr. Bender spent over 20 years with Holman Enterprises, a 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 was appointed Executive Vice President – Chief Customer Experience Officer, on April 29, 2020. Prior to that appointment, Mr. Cannon served as our Chief Marketing Officer, Executive Vice President of Brand Marketing, Customer Service, AutoNation.com, Communications & Public Policy from January 2017 through April 2020. Mr. Cannon is responsible for creating and developing a seamless experience for Customers throughout their entire ownership journey.

Mr. Cannon previously served as our Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications. Mr. Cannon is an innovative leader with more than 30 years of experience in establishing brands, addressing digital disruption, driving corporate social responsibility, and crisis management. Through his tenure, Mr. Cannon has helped develop customer-focused digital experiences and has been involved in strategic planning in technology as it relates to the Customer experience for the company. Notably, he also directs the company’s broad range of communications – to investors, to the industry, to the media, and the marketplace.

Mr. Cannon has been instrumental in the growth of AutoNation 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 was part of the executive team that launched AutoNation Express, the company’s industry-leading transactional digital platform, which seamlessly integrates the customer’s in-store and online experience. Mr. Cannon also spearheads 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, he 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 had previously 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. In his time with Alamo, Marc was part of the team that grew the company from 15 locations to more than 100 locations nationwide and expanded the company to Europe. He also helped develop 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 on 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 Corporate Development in January 2019. Mr. Edmunds serves as the Chairman of the company’s Employee Benefits Committee and is a member of the company’s 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.

Joe Lower is Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of AutoNation, America's largest automotive retailer and a Fortune 150 company. In this role, Mr. Lower is a member of the company's executive committee and has responsibility for all financial functions, the company's Shared Service Center and its corporate strategy.

Lower most recently served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Office Depot, Inc. In this role, Lower was responsible for overseeing all financial aspects of the company, including financial planning and analysis, accounting and financial reporting, as well as managing the tax, internal audit, treasury and investor relations functions.

Prior to Office Depot, Lower served as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at B/E Aerospace, Inc. where he oversaw all the financial reporting for the company. Lower also spent 12 years at The Boeing Company, where he served as Vice President of Business Development and Strategy. Among other finance positions, Lower spent six years with Credit Suisse in various investment banking roles including positions in mergers and acquisitions and corporate finance.

Lower earned a Master of Business Administration from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University and a Bachelor of Arts in Finance from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business.

Dave Koehler is the Eastern Region President for Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Tennessee, and Virginia. Prior to being promoted to Region President in 2019, Mr. Koehler held several key positions within AutoNation, including General Manager, Market President and Senior Vice President of Sales. With over 30 years of automotive retail experience, Mr. Koehler has a strong foundation in the automotive business. He has created a culture of engaged Teammates, driven to provide Customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Mr. Koehler is an avid boater and enjoys volunteering at many of the AutoNation cancer-related events from coast-to-coast.

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.