When Asbury Automotive Group says “trust me”, they’ve got an award to back them up.

The dealership group was selected by Newsweek for its World’s Most Trustworthy Companies 2024 list, ranking 27th among the 52 companies named in the Vehicles & Components industry.

“It is an honor to receive the title of one of the World’s Most Trustworthy Companies,” Asbury president and CEO David Hult said in a news release. “We work very hard to ensure our practices and procedures exemplify a strong sense of integrity, aligning with our mission, vision and values.”

Asbury operates 153 new vehicle dealerships nationwide, as well as F&I provider Total Care Auto, Powered by Landcar, and 37 collision repair centers.

In all, Newsweek’s list includes 1,000 firms from various industries, selected in partnership with global data and business intelligence platform Statista based on a survey of more than 70,000 participants rating companies for investor trust, customer trust and employee trust, as well as 230,000 evaluations from customers, investors and employees who responded to prompts such as “I trust this company’s advertising and communications claims,” and “I believe this company treats its employees fairly.”

The selection process also incorporated “social listening,” an analysis of company mentions across social platforms.

“Trust is an essential part of any relationship,” Newsweek global editor-in-chief Nancy Cooper said. “This list recognizes companies that have earned the confidence of consumers, investors and employees by producing quality products, paying employees fair wages and appointing effective leaders.”

The complete list of is available here.

Ex-IBM cybersecurity head joins Asbury board

Former IBM information security chief Shamla Naidoo has been named as an independent member of Asbury’s board of directors, effective Jan. 1.

Naidoo will serve on the board’s audit and compensation & human resources committees. The board now includes 10 directors, nine of whom are independent, the company said in a news release.

“Shamla brings an added dimension,” Asbury CEO David Hult said. “Her knowledge regarding information security and her ability to assess related risk are tremendous assets, and make us a stronger organization.”

Naidoo’s resume includes six years as IBM’s vice president of technology risk and global chief information security officer, responsible for protecting the company from cybersecurity threats and managing strategic risk in its product portfolio. Over her 30-year career she has worked in numerous industries for companies on six continents. She is a frequent lecturer on the issues of emerging technologies and global privacy law.

She has also served as head of cloud strategy and innovation for Netskope and has been a director or board member for several companies, including QBE North America, Wisdom Tree, Reference Point LLC and Stonebridge.

Naidoo began her career as a hands-on technologist and used her proficiency in technology innovation, security, privacy and regulatory compliance to drive global risk management programs. In a news release, Asbury said she “brings a rare mix of global business experience, cyber and technology skills, and legal knowledge.”