CarNow recently announced the appointment of Kayne Grau as chief executive officer and as a member of the Board of Directors, effective immediately. Grau will work closely with the CarNow leadership team to accelerate product innovation, strengthen the company’s network of industry partners and grow its customer base.
Grau has held senior leadership positions at prominent organizations including Cars.com, DirecTV, Apartments.com and eToys. He co-founded DRIVIN, a company that utilized data and technology platforms to acquire, deliver and market used cars for its network of dealer partners, which was later sold to OPENLANE. Most recently, he served as CEO of Uptake, a leader in the industrial intelligence software-as-a-service sector.
“CarNow’s dedication to transforming automotive retailing resonates deeply with me,” said Grau. “By leveraging intuitive and cutting-edge technology solutions, we’re in a strong position to empower dealers and enhance the overall car-buying experience. My goal is to lead CarNow in delivering simplicity and value to our customers. I’m thrilled to take on this role and work alongside the team to drive continued growth and innovation in the automotive industry.”
As a market leader, CarNow is at the forefront of the automotive retailing space and currently serves more than 5,000 dealership rooftops across the U.S. CarNow’s powerful digital retailing and messaging solutions are designed to enhance online engagement and streamline processes between dealerships and car-buyers.
“We’re thrilled to have Kayne join CarNow as its new CEO,” said Michael Brown, general partner at Battery Ventures. “His proven ability to foster innovation and drive smart growth — plus his past executive experience across e-commerce and online marketplaces — makes him an ideal fit as we enter the next chapter of CarNow’s evolution. We have confidence in his leadership capabilities and will remain committed to prioritizing collaboration, creativity and delivering leading solutions that reshape the landscape of automotive retail.”
Grau holds a bachelor’s degree in business management from National-Louis University. He currently resides in Chicago, Illinois, with his family, serves on multiple boards, and plays an active role in the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), the leading global organization funding type 1 diabetes research.
Learn more about CarNow and its technology at www.carnow.com.
