vAuto Announces Jung as Chief Marketing Officer

OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill.--vAuto, an inventory management solution provider for the retail automotive industry, formally announced today that Thomas Jung has joined the company as Chief Marketing Officer. In this role, Jung will lead the company’s national marketing, brand and business development strategies.

Jung had been in his previous role as Vice President of Operations and Dealer Product Development for cars.com since 2000. During that time, he helped grow the business from 1,000 to more than 11,000 dealer customers, making it one of the most successful online automotive solutions to date. Keith Jezek, CEO of vAuto, stated, “Without a doubt, pre-owned vehicle department profitability is dependent on an effective dealership Internet strategy. vAuto believes so strongly in this connection that we brought on an executive who has proven experience in both. We look forward to the expertise and the history of success that Thomas will contribute to our management team.”

In addition to his executive experience, Jung has worked throughout the automotive industry for more than 20 years as a successful entrepreneur, working for OEMs and as the owner of an automobile dealership.

“In today’s market environment, with 87 percent of consumers conducting online research before purchasing a vehicle and more than two million pre-owned vehicle listings on the Internet, dealers need inventory management tools to effectively purchase, manage and price their pre-owned inventory,” said Jung. “The vAuto solution and scoring system are unique in the industry and I look forward to helping retail dealers maximize their inventory returns and drive more profitability to their sales operations.”

About Thomas Jung, CMO, vAuto, Inc.

Jung’s specialty lies in bringing market-leading software solutions to the automotive industry. Jung founded Marketdrive Interactive, the first customer relationship management provider focused on OEM owner’s circle solutions. He served as the company’s Chairman and CEO until its successful merger with Classified Ventures, the parent company of cars.com, in 2000.

Jung’s marketing and technology solutions have won numerous awards including Best Interactive Dealer Web Sites in 1999 and 2000, and the JD Power Leader in Dealer Satisfaction with Online Buying Services in 2001, 2002 and 2003.

He is one of only six Americans to receive an Automotive Technician degree from Dr. Ing. h.c.F. Porsche AG. Jung received his BA from the University of California at Berkeley and his Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Harvard University.

About vAuto, Inc.

vAuto, formerly known as mPower Auto, is the creator of the industry’s first and only vehicle scoring system, providing a better way for automotive dealerships to appraise, manage and price pre-owned inventory. The vAuto Score acts like a Beacon® or FICO® score for every vehicle and provides financial insight into the acquisition, wholesale disposition, reconditioning, pricing and desking decisions that dealers make every day. This solution has significantly improved the volume, gross and age of pre-owned inventories for many of the most successful dealerships in the country. Users of the system include the highest-volume U.S. retailers for two of the five largest automobile manufacturers.

For more information, please contact vAuto, One Lincoln Centre, 18W140 Butterfield Road, 15th Floor, Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181; phone (877) 629-8288; marketing@vauto.com, or visit us on the Web at www.vauto.com.