ATLANTA, May 19, 2025 -- Cox Automotive leaders Grace Huang, president of Inventory Solutions; Marianne Johnson, executive vice president and chief product officer; and Lori Wittman, president of Retail Solutions, have been named among the 100 Leading Women in the North American Auto Industry by Automotive News. They and their co-honorees from across the automotive industry are featured in the May 19 issue of Automotive News and will be celebrated this evening at a gala at The Henry in Dearborn, Michigan, hosted by Automotive News.
The 100 Leading Women in the North American Auto Industry recognizes female leaders in the automotive field – those who make major decisions and have significant influence at their companies. Automotive News has published the list of the industry's top female executives every five years since 2000. This sixth list includes engineers, mobility leaders, manufacturing and marketing executives, financiers, dealer principals, and designers.
"Over the last 25 years, on six lists of Leading Women, Automotive News has honored 442 executives. This year's group of Leading Women has 24 presidents and CEOs and nine other C-suite executives; the first group, in 2000, had 14 presidents and CEOs and five others in the C-suite," said Mary Beth Vander Schaaf, Automotive News senior director of editorial operations.
The 2025 class of Automotive News' 100 Leading Women in the North American Auto Industry emerged from a months-long nomination and judging process that attracted hundreds of entries from the United States, Canada and Mexico.
"We're proud to have three incredible leaders on this list, representing the many women at Cox Automotive who positively influence the automotive industry," said Steve Rowley, president of Cox Automotive. "Grace Huang and Lori Wittman, both two-time honorees, along with Marianne Johnson have been rightfully recognized by Automotive News as part of the 100 Leading Women in the North American Auto Industry. Their vision and dedication are instrumental in shaping our industry, and Cox Automotive is fortunate to have such outstanding leaders. This recognition is well-earned, reflecting their commitment and achievements."
Grace Huang is president of Cox Automotive's Inventory Solutions group, which includes Manheim, the nation's largest wholesale vehicle marketplace, and a suite of digital solutions and vehicle services spanning the U.S. and international markets. Groups that report to Grace include Manheim's Physical Services and Auctions, Digital Marketplace, Logistics Solutions—including Central Dispatch—and Cox Automotive International.
Huang is evolving Manheim to transform the used vehicle marketplace into a seamless experience across digital and physical platforms. This includes fueling its leading digital channels such as Manheim.com and Simulcast with data-driven tools that help clients compete more effectively and profitably. Her role also extends to strengthening Cox Automotive's leadership and innovations in the areas of mobility, AI, vehicle imaging and EV battery health.
Huang's industry honors and leadership recognitions are numerous. They include Northwood University's "2022 Distinguished Women Award," Automotive News' 2021 "All-Star" in Remarketing" and "Notable Champion of Diversity," Automotive News' "100 Leading Women in the North American Auto Industry" in 2020, a 2019 profile in Auto Remarketing's "Power 300" edition, a "Women who Mean Business" in 2019 by the Atlanta Business Chronicle, inclusion in Profiles in Diversity Journal's 2018 Women Worth Watching," and Auto Remarketing's "Women in Remarketing" in 2017.
Huang's leadership also extends to volunteering her time and talent to support the community and industry. She formerly chaired the Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities board and during her tenure, launched the capital campaign and planning of a new Atlanta Ronald McDonald house. Other leadership roles include serving on the advisory council for Endeavor Atlanta, a global movement that supports the next generation of entrepreneurs by promoting job and wealth creation, sustained economic growth and a culture of giving back. She also sits on the board of trustees for The Walker School in Atlanta and has served as an executive co-sponsor of Cox's LOTUS Asian American Pacific Islander Employee Resource Group (ERG).
Marianne Johnson is executive vice president and chief product officer at Cox Automotive, where she leads the company's product, engineering, data, security and technology teams, as well as the new product innovation discipline. In her role, Johnson partners closely with the Cox Automotive executive team to deliver innovative solutions that create opportunities for the company's clients while driving sustainable growth for the company.
Johnson led Cox Automotive's technology and data transformation to become cloud-native and data-first. As a result, Cox Automotive's data intelligence engine enables Cox Automotive's breadth of data-driven AI solutions, including generative AI and agentic AI transformation at scale.
Johnson is a well-respected public speaker, board member and technology thought leader. She embodies the Cox spirit through her commitment to community, and she recently stepped into the role of co-chair for Cox's "Empow[HER]" employee resource group. She has been named one of the top Chief Product Officers in the 2024 CPO Awards, presented by Products That Count, one of the top chief product officers driving business transformation in 2024 by CIO World, 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 to include supporting the United Way and WIT – Women in Technology.
Lori Wittman is president of retail solutions for Cox Automotive, overseeing the growth and strategic direction of powerhouse brands Autotrader, Kelley Blue Book, Dealertrack, Dealer.com, VinSolutions and Xtime. Her focus is on building retail connections through the power of the tech and service giant's data and people, to further the company's commitment to transforming the industry by creating vehicle access, business success, and a more sustainable planet for everyone.
Wittman is a notable executive in the automotive industry. She has been recognized as one of the 100 Leading Women in North American Auto Industry by Automotive News (2015), received accolades from Auto Remarketing's Women of Remarketing (2015), awarded "Women Who Mean Business" by the Kansas City Business Journal (2016) and named Woman of Influence by Atlanta Business Chronicle (2023).
Wittman is dedicated to continuous learning, personal growth and community service. Her leadership includes volunteering her time and skills for community and industry support. She mentors many business professionals as the executive sponsor of Momentum, an early professionals group within Cox Automotive. Wittman also serves on the Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta Board of Directors and the Georgia Chamber of Commerce.
About Automotive News
Since 1925, Automotive News has been the primary source for news happening among automotive retailers, suppliers, and manufacturers. Distinct from other publications in the field, Automotive News remains a fully subscriber-paid publication, a testament to the value it delivers to the reader. The award-winning weekly print edition, robust website, email newsletters, podcast, and video broadcasts are backed by a global team of more than 65 editors and reporters.
About Cox Automotive
Cox Automotive is the world's largest automotive services and technology provider. Fueled by the largest breadth of first-party data fed by 2.3 billion online interactions a year, Cox Automotive tailors leading solutions for car shoppers, auto manufacturers, dealers, lenders and fleets. The company has 29,000+ employees on five continents and a portfolio of industry-leading brands that include Autotrader®, Kelley Blue Book®, Manheim®, vAuto®, Dealertrack®, NextGear Capital™, CentralDispatch® and FleetNet America®. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises Inc., a privately owned, Atlanta-based company with $23 billion in annual revenue. Visit coxautoinc.com or connect via @CoxAutomotive on X, CoxAutoInc on Facebook or Cox-Automotive-Inc on LinkedIn.
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