A longtime Cox Automotive executive has a new title and new responsibilities.

The company announced it has promoted Joe Kichler from vice president and general manager of Cox Automotive logistics to senior vice president of digital inventory and supply chain solutions.

Kichler, who has been with Cox at the VP level since 2012, will now add all Manheim digital tools, including the Manheim Digital Marketplace, to his current duties as head of Cox Automotive’s logistics businesses, Central Dispatch and Ready Logistics.

Joe Kichler

In a news release, the company said bringing those areas under one leader allows it to “accelerate innovation and realize the full potential of the digital marketplace quicker” at an important time in the industry, as technology and artificial intelligence are beginning to change the digital wholesale and vehicle transportation sectors.

“As the wholesale marketplace continues to move upstream and converge with retail, our goal is to continue to create more seamless connections between our digital and transportation capabilities that benefit our clients,” Cox Automotive inventory solutions president Grace Huang said.

“Joe has proven to be a visionary leader who not only inspires change, but also effectively leads teams through large-scale transformations. I know his experience will be invaluable in giving our clients more connected tools to drive their success.”

In his previous position, Kichler was instrumental in digitizing Ready Logistics’ transportation solutions through a strategic partnership with DHL Supply Chain, Cox said, and secured additional investment to convert Central Dispatch’s load board into an integrated transportation marketplace. The company said the first phase of that process has been completed.

“Automotive is a critical enabler of our everyday lives,” Kichler said, “and the opportunity to transform these key pieces of the ecosystem is huge. There’s so much untapped potential for driving more client efficiencies at the intersection of digital wholesale and vehicle transportation. That is why I’m looking forward to bringing our talented teams and industry-leading, powerful solutions closer together – to make it easier for our clients to do business.”

Kichler joined Manheim in 2012 as vice president of operational excellence, overseeing the design of new auction processes and client experiences and leading the enterprise portfolio management and operational analytics functions. He later served as vice president of group strategy, responsible for strategic planning across the company’s wholesale and retail brands.