ATLANTA — Marianne Johnson is joining Cox Automotive as chief product officer, reporting to Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Mark O’Neil. In her new role, Johnson will partner closely with the Cox Automotive executive team to focus on building exceptional products that maximize the potential of Cox Automotive for clients and consumers.

“Marianne will lead our product team during an important time in our history,” said O’Neil. “She understands the momentum we have, the opportunities in front of us, and she’s committed to leveraging her product and innovation expertise to maximize them.”

As a 30-year veteran in the FinTech field, Johnson is credited with helping to shape the space, both through a technology and product innovation lens, and will apply her wealth of experience across the Cox Automotive ecosystem.

“The automotive industry is in the midst of dynamic transformation and I am thrilled to join Cox Automotive to help the company and its customers,” said Johnson. “This is an industry-leading company, well-positioned to deliver exceptional products that maximize the potential for our clients and consumers.”

Johnson joins Cox Automotive from First Data, where she was head of product innovation and technology for the network and security solutions line of business and senior vice president of enterprise commercialization.

Prior to First Data, Johnson was an executive vice president at Elavon, a U.S. Bank company, where she led global product innovation. Before Elavon, she served as a key driver of strategic growth at Equifax as senior vice president of U.S. growth and operations where she successfully delivered new product innovation that resulted in significant revenue growth and served as an impetus for future innovations.

Johnson comes to Cox Automotive as a well-respected and awarded member of the technology industry, and she embodies the Cox spirit through her commitment to community. She has been named one of the top Women Worth Watching by Profiles in Diversity Journal and Woman of the Year by The Technology Association of Georgia. She was also honored in 2011 as a Turknett Leadership Character Award Nominee. She’s expanded her community involvement beyond Atlanta to include supporting the United Way and Women Leaders in Action.