SANTA MONICA, Calif. — TrueCar, a vehicle information site and marketing channel, has hired Mike Dunn as chief technology officer following a nationwide executive search. Dunn most recently served as the CTO for Hearst Interactive Media.

 “Mike, a technologist to the core, fulfills all of our rigorous CTO guidelines,” Scott Painter, TrueCar founder and CEO, said of Dunn, who’s also served as corporate CTO for Time Warner, was the founding CTO for Dell Online and served as executive vice president and CTO for Encoda Systems.

“He’ll help define, articulate and implement the forward-looking TrueCar technology and business strategy,” Painter added. “Additionally, his background in media, advertising and technology industries perfectly aligns with our tech resources and potential. Mike is a world-class talent who will be a huge asset for short- and long-term corporate goals.”

Dunn, who makes frequent public speaking appearances on technology due diligence, the semantic web and online video technologies, has also served as a mentor at the MIT Media LAB, Columbia University and the Northwestern Kellogg School. He’s also serviced as an advisor to a variety of Silicon Valley, New York and Boston startups. 

“TrueCar presents a fascinating challenge,” says Dunn, who will be based at TrueCar’s Santa Monica, Calif.-based headquarters. “They’re a robust technology and data-based company that is part of 27,000 vehicles sales every month and is blossoming into a significant force in the automotive world.”