George Muller Becomes President & CEO of Driveitaway
Former Subaru President and Automotive 'All-Star' Will Lead Vehicle Remarketing Company
PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 12 -- George T. Muller, former President of Subaru of America and Segway LLC, has joined Driveitaway as its new President & CEO. Driveitaway provides groundbreaking remarketing services to the fleet/lease vehicle industry through the industry's first fully automated online vehicle remarketing system. With over 3 million leased vehicles being released into the market annually, Driveitaway addresses the significant and growing industry challenge of getting off-lease cars to market in the most efficient and most profitable fashion.
Muller, a veteran of the automotive industry, achieved national recognition at Subaru by orchestrating the repositioning, refocus, and financial recovery described by Business Week as "one of the most profound turnarounds ever in the industry." Under his leadership Subaru refocused on its core technology of all-wheel drive passenger cars and set all-time company records, tripling its revenues from $1.3 to $4 billion and earning Mr. Muller accolades including the Outstanding Asian Nameplate Executive space on Automotive News' All-Star lineup for 1999. He was also at the helm when Subaru pioneered the "cross-over vehicle segment" (sport utility vehicles built on passenger car platforms) with the hugely successful introductions of the Outback and Forester models.
Following his work with Subaru Mr. Muller was named President of Segway, where he oversaw all aspects of sales, marketing, product development, operations, and finance for the company's high-profile Human Transporter. He has also worked as a private equity principal and investment advisor at CMS Companies.
"We are delighted to have George as the new leader of our team," said Driveitaway co-founder and Vice Chairman John Possumato. "His experience and proven abilities are outstanding, as is his enthusiasm. We look forward to working with him as we bring new products online and roll out our current industry-leading remarketing initiatives nationwide. He is an exceptional leader for an exceptional startup."
"The Driveitaway team, and the business model they have put together, are incredible," said Muller. "I've been in this industry for years, and this is one of the most exciting opportunities I've ever seen. I look forward to helping redefine and strengthen the used vehicle remarketplace at the helm of this dynamic young company."
About Driveitaway:
Driveitaway is a leading wholesale-to-retail remarketing platform for off- lease and off-fleet vehicles. The company's online "remarketplace" automates and streamlines the entire leased vehicle remarketing process for manufacturers, dealers, lessors, fleet managers and consumers. The service, introduced in partnership with LeasePlan USA in 2003, is the industry's first fully automated and brandable solution for remarketing vehicles, allowing commercial fleets and lessors to sell more cars in less time for more money.
Purchasers of the off-lease cars are also able to get better value for money because of efficiencies created by Driveitaway's service.
Driveitaway, a privately held company headquartered in Philadelphia, PA., founded and is run by a core team with more than 150 years in the automotive and technical industries, including former executives of Subaru of America, United Auto Group, Reynolds & Reynolds, and eBay. For more information, visit the company's Web site at www.driveitaway.com.