CHARLOTTE, N.C., Jan. 21, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- AutoUpLink Technologies, Inc., an automotive industry leader and designer of products and services that optimize the customer lifecycle, announced a key leadership change effective January 1. Christian Thornton has been selected as the new CEO, replacing founder Bruce McHoul, who assumes the role of CFO and continues as a Board Member.

"No business is future proof, regardless of the size of the figures on their balance sheet," said Thornton. "While many technology conglomerates in this vertical have grown through acquisition and consolidation, and many founders of dealership software systems have gotten rich, one of the regrettable results is more pseudo 'platforms' that lock dealers in with complex or non-existent dealer exit strategies. Seemingly the only way out is for dealers to risk costly and painful migrations that take years to produce ROI. I believe independent firms like AutoUpLink Tech fulfill a crucial role in the ecosystem for dealers by offering independent guidance and indie tech that doesn't attempt to lure retailers into the same tech trap."

Before joining AutoUpLink Tech in 2012 as its Senior Executive Vice President, Marketing and Business Development, and a stockholder, Thornton served as the Managing Director of e-autobusiness, LLC in Charlotte, an independent SaaS provider of customer relationship management (CRM) software that was acquired by AutoUpLink Tech. In that role, he was responsible for all aspects of that business, including product strategy, revenue growth, team development, pricing, operational optimization, and financial performance. In his new role, Thornton will be responsible for results in all aspects of AutoUpLink Tech's business, and he will influence collaboration and growth across the company's distributed teams.

"Christian is a formidable leader with a proven record of success, and his experience in leadership and technology roles position him well to execute his vision with our team to deliver untrammeled value for our clients," said Bruce McHoul. "I am excited about the experience Christian has brought to AutoUpLink Tech, and I am certain his relentless commitment to customers and employees will enable him to lead our business forward."

AutoUpLink Tech's mission is to design an open, secure, collaborative operating system for the customer lifecycle that any retailer can use to stay connected with each of their customers as they progress through the shopper-owner-shopper lifecycle. "Legacy software like DMS and CRM from the big box conglomerates was all born from yesterday's technology and 20th century business needs. They keep the 21st century lights on, but retailers simply aren't future proof using such solutions," Thornton said. "Given the disruptive technology and business models aligned against retailers today, dealers need indie developers like AutoUpLink Tech who are capable of addressing their long-term business needs in ways that behave like the open systems they need to be."

About AutoUpLink Tech

Founded in 1999 and headquartered in Charlotte, NC, AutoUpLink Technologies, Inc.'s (www.autouplinktech.com) products and services help retail teams of all sizes track all aspects of their business, share everything, work smarter, and establish more profitable customer relationships. From do-it-yourself inventory management apps or on-the-lot inventory service, to CRM and custom web site design, dealerships are energized from end-to-end and across all profit centers. With over 2,300 customers from coast to coast, our team o' experts delivers relentless customer service wrapped around top shelf products. And our proprietary Crawl, Walk, Run(TM) methodology enables our customers to buy only what they need today, avoiding the utilization drag that comes with bloated, one-size-fits-all solutions from traditional software sales organizations.

Media Contact:
Jim Leman
847-543-1090
jim@lemanpublicrelations.com


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SOURCE AutoUpLink Technologies, Inc.