Two former Cox Automotive leaders in the U.S. have joined a company that describes itself as “a fintech provider disrupting the automotive industry.”

John Canales and Brent Green are now senior advisers with PowerBand Solutions, which offers an integrated, cloud-based transaction platform that facilitates transactions among consumers, dealers, funders and OEMs.

Canales and Green have begun their advisory roles with PowerBand, which says the “seasoned entrepreneurs” will work on the commercialization of PowerBand’s virtual platform that it says is transforming how drivers and dealers buy, sell, lease, trade and finance vehicles using smart phones and other digital devices, from any location.

The company is introducing the platform to U.S. markets under the brand DRIVRZ.

Canales and Green bring a combined seven decades of leadership experience on the dealership floor, software and senior executive posts at Cox Automotive and Manheim.

Canales’ automotive career began in 1990, and PowerBand said his “unique perspective” to the automotive industry includes a background in dealership operations and “disruptive” software sales products that drive higher gross margins.

He operated the highest volume dealership in America by the time he was age 30. He went on to open his own dealership, with a focus on retail and inventory software development. After selling his dealership in 2008, he started with Dealertrack Technologies.

In that post, he delivered more than $80 million in revenue, PowerBand said, adding that Canales earned salesman of the year honors for nine consecutive years. Then-Dealertrack leader Mark O'Neil awarded him the company's highest distinction, The Chairman’s Award, which only five employees in the company’s history had received.

Cox Automotive acquired Dealertrack in 2015, Canales was promoted to director for Enterprise Dealership Partners. Canales left Cox Automotive in 2018 and is now a senior executive and partner in a group of digitally-focused automotive retail companies.

As for Green, he brings more than 20 years of U.S. and global auto industry experience.

Green began his automotive career as a manager trainee with Cox Automotive.

During his 17 years at Manheim, he moved from auction operations as general manager of Manheim Colorado, to representing the company in joint ventures internationally in China and Turkey. He later worked in sales leadership roles with auto and power sports commercial clients.

Green then took on a senior leadership role at Cox Automotive with the Autotrader, KBB, and Dealer.com brands, and with those brands, his last role was vice president of sales.

Most recently, Green has worked with the automotive technology company Winfooz, developing that company’s “go-to-market strategies” for its U.S. market launch.

“PowerBand is now in full commercialization mode, able to operate in 14 states, with a combined population of more than 200 million,” PowerBand chief executive officer Kelly Jennings said in a news release.

Jennings added, “John Canales and Brent Green bring the knowledge and leadership that will make PowerBand, and our brand DRIVRZ, a national presence and essential go-to-retail tool for potentially millions of drivers as well as the dealerships who serve them.”

Jennings also noted, “As we commercialize PowerBand's virtual transaction platform for dealers and drivers, branded under DRIVRZ, the more than seven decades of cumulative experience and insight of these two automotive leaders will be invaluable. We believe DRIVRZ will transform the automotive retail experience for drivers and dealers, removing unnecessary middlemen and making it as easy to buy, sell, lease and finance a car as acquiring a product on Amazon.”