ATLANTA — Jared Rowe was named president of AutoTrader.com this week. He succeeds Alan Smith, who is leaving AutoTrader to pursue personal interests.

Rowe previously served for two and a half years as president of Kelley Blue Book. Under his leadership, the company exceeded revenue, profit and traffic targets.

Before joining Kelley Blue Book, Rowe served as vice president of product management for AutoTrader.com. Prior to that he worked at FordDirect, where he was a founding member of the leadership team. Earlier in his career, he held management positions at Toyota and Autobytel, an automotive media and marketing services company.

"I am thrilled to lead the incredibly talented AutoTrader.com team. An undisputed leader, AutoTrader.com plays a critical role in the automotive industry — helping consumers quickly find their perfect vehicle," Rowe said. "We are a valued partner for our advertisers, enabling them to showcase their offerings prominently and effectively."

Succeeding Rowe is Steve Lind, who was named president of Kelley Blue Book. He will oversee all aspects of the brand and business. Lind previously served as Kelley Blue Book's vice president of operations. He is a veteran of the automotive industry, having worked for Autobytel, Nissan and LeadPoint before joining Kelley Blue Book in 2012. 

"I'm honored to lead and serve Kelley Blue Book — an iconic and trusted automotive brand,” Lind said. “We will continue to provide vehicle valuations and deliver impactful branding solutions for our customers.”

Lind helped launch new marketing programs at Kelley Blue Book and is credited with driving the growth of the firm’s brand awareness. Under Lind's leadership, the business delivered double-digit audience growth and has seen unaided awareness rise significantly. He oversaw the modernization of Kelley Blue Book's ad serving platform, significant investment in its analytic and insight capability, and delivery of valuable market intelligence to OEM clients.

"We have two dynamic and talented leaders in Jared Rowe and Steve Lind who will deliver for our customers, engage their teams and drive us into a successful future in the automotive space," said Jim Franchi, president of media of the AutoTrader group. "I want to thank Alan Smith for his leadership and wish him every success in the future."