AutoNation Inc. has named two company veterans as chief operating officers to oversee both the franchised dealership and non-franchised dealership sides of the auto retail giant’s business. The moves come as its current president and COO is set to retire on Friday.
AutoNation said Thursday that Dave Koehler, its eastern region president since May 2019, will become COO of the company’s non-franchised dealership business and will manage its standalone used-vehicle AutoNation USA stores, AutoNation auctions and its collision business.
Steve Kwak, western region president since May 2017 and AutoNation USA president since August 2020, will be COO of AutoNation’s franchised dealership business, responsible for operations at its new-vehicle dealerships, manufacturer relations, finance and insurance and its aftersales businesses.
Both Koehler and Kwak will report to AutoNation CEO Mike Manley.
“Steve and Dave have nearly sixty years of combined automotive experience and both have been with AutoNation for over ten years. They are exceptional leaders whose expertise will continue to support the trajectory and the strategy of AutoNation,” Manley said in a statement. “With the significant investment, growth plans, and success of AutoNation USA coupled with our opportunity to develop our collision and auction business it is now time to ensure these operating units have the highest level of leadership and focus.”
Longtime AutoNation executive Jim Bender, COO since July 2019 and who added the president title in April 2020, is retiring on Friday. The company in January announced his retirement plans.
Last month, Manley announced an outside hire, former McKinsey & Co. executive Gianluca Camplone. Camplone was set to join AutoNation this week as executive vice president of business development, strategy, personal mobility and COO of Precision Parts. AutoNation uses the Precision Parts brand on items such as batteries and wiper blades.
AutoNation said it would announce replacements for Koehler and Kwak “in the near future.”