RON'S BACKGROUND

Ron Frey

Ron has been an innovator in the automotive industry since the 1985 founding of Frey International, the premiere credit union auto-buying service in the Northwest. Frey International was later acquired by Autoland, where Ron took the role of CEO and grew the company to selling more than 10,000 units annually.

Under his leadership, Autoland acquired two companies, developed a successful call center, and launched one of the nation’s first virtual used car centers. In 2005, Autoland was acquired by Zag/TrueCar where as a founding partner and COO, Ron established operational controls and strategic priorities for the company.

In 2007, Ron joined AutoNation as the Divisional President of AutoNation Direct, a subsidiary tasked with developing and testing bold new initiatives in transactional sales outside the traditional dealership environment. He went on to serve as Chief Strategy Officer for AutoNation alongside Mike Maroone and Mike Jackson.

In 2017, Ron joined CDK Global as Global Chief Strategy Officer where he was responsible for M&A, product strategy, and global strategy. CDK Global is the largest global provider of integrated information technology and digital marketing solutions to the automotive retail industry. While there, Ron led initiatives to reposition CDK Global as open and agnostic, introduced Fortellis Automotive Commerce Exchange, led several acquisitions, including eLead, and streamlined product focus including a path to modernize the next generation of DMS. In July 2022, Ron was appointed to the CDK Global Board of Directors.

Ron founded RL Frey, Inc. in 2015 to invest in and advise companies of all sizes. It is here that he serves as an advisor and automotive strategist. Additionally, he is a director on select corporate and non-profit Boards. Ron’s approach centers on implementing innovative solutions combined with a pragmatic and disciplined approach, sharing a wealth of experience, and an inspired vision for the future.

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