Cox Automotive has expanded the leadership role for Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Ken Kraft. In addition to his current marketing responsibilities, Kraft will lead the company’s sales organization.
He will continue to report to Cox Automotive President Steve Rowley and remain a member of the executive leadership team, officials stated.
“I’m honored to lead such a talented and passionate group of team members and continue to build on a solid foundation,” said Kraft. “By further aligning our sales and marketing efforts, we can better serve our customers and achieve unprecedented success for Cox Automotive.”
Since joining Cox Automotive in 2021, Kraft has partnered closely with the sales and product teams resulting in significant growth and improved customer satisfaction.
“There’s no one better to lead this marketing and sales organization than Ken Kraft,” said Steve Rowley, president of Cox Automotive. “Ken’s laser focus on putting the customer first and his deep understanding of how marketing and sales can partner together to drive business success have been the hallmarks of his over 35-year career.”
Kraft will collaborate closely with Tim McKinley, the current chief sales officer, who will retire at the end of the year. McKinley concludes a 40-year career, including six years at Cox Communications and 11 years at Cox Automotive.
Before joining Cox Automotive, Kraft led marketing and sales operations at Cox Business, the commercial services division of Cox Communications. Prior to joining Cox, Kraft had a long-standing career in telecommunications, leading marketing, communications, product and sales teams at AT&T, BellSouth and Sprint.
A longtime Atlanta resident, Kraft is passionate about giving back to the community and environmental stewardship. He currently serves on the board of the Chattahoochee Riverkeeper. Previously, he served on the boards of the Trust for Public Land, Woodruff Arts Center, Fernbank Museum, Adaptive Spirit and the Sandy Springs Education Force.
Kraft earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of South Carolina and serves on the Dean’s Leadership Council for the College of Information and Communications.