Cox Automotive’s Ken Kraft is putting one more item on his plate.

The executive vice president and chief marketing officer will also assume leadership of the company’s sales organization as chief sales officer, Cox said in a news release. Kraft will work with current chief sales officer Tim McKinley, who will retire at the end of the year, to transition into the role.

Kraft joined the Cox organization in 2012 and moved to Cox Automotive in 2021, where he has worked closely with the sales and product teams in developing marketing strategies that the company said resulted in significant growth and improved customer satisfaction.

Kraft led marketing and sales operations for Cox Business, the commercial services division of Cox Communications, building the marketing and sales operations team and positioned them as strategic business partners. Previously, he had a long career in telecommunications, leading marketing, communications, product and sales teams for AT&T, BellSouth and Sprint.

“There’s no one better to lead this best-in-class marketing and sales organization than Ken Kraft,” Cox Automotive president Steve Rowley said in a news release. “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 more than 35-year career.”

McKinley’s retirement will end a 40-year career that includes six years with Cox Communications and 11 years with Cox Automotive. He’s been a member of Cox Automotive’s executive leadership team for the past five years, helping lead record revenue growth during his time with the company.

“I’m honored to lead such a talented and passionate group of team members and continue to build on a solid foundation,” Kraft said. “By further aligning our sales and marketing efforts, we can better serve our customers, bring innovative solutions to market faster and achieve unprecedented success for Cox Automotive.”