Ally Financial names Rhodes as CEO, and other staff moves

[caption id="attachment_58339001" align="alignright" width="200"] Michael Rhodes, Ally Financial [/caption] Ally Financial named a new chief executive today, ending a three-month search. Michael Rhodes will take the reins of the bank April 29 and become a member of the board, according to an Ally release. Prior to joining Ally, Rhodes served as CEO of Discover Financial Services , which Capital One announced plans to acquire last month . He has 25 years’ experience across retail and consumer banking, including a 12-year stint at TD Bank . Doug Timmerman has served as interim CEO in addition to president of dealer financial services at the lender since Feb. 1 after Jeffrey Brown stepped down effective Jan. 31. Timmerman will continue as president of dealer financial services, according to Ally. Timmerman has been with Ally for more than 30 years, holding several leadership roles during his tenure. He has served as president of dealer financial services since 2021, and before that, was president of auto finance since 2018. Open Lending’s Keith Jezek resigns as chief executive and board member Open Lending CEO and member of the board Keith Jezek resigned March 25. Jezek had served as CEO since October 2022. The fintech’s Chief Financial Officer Chuck Jehl will serve as chief operating officer and interim CEO while the board searches for a m permanent CEO, according to an Open Lending release. Jehl will remain CFO as well. Jehl has served as CFO of Open Lending since August 2020 . Prior to joining the automation fintech, he held a variety of leadership roles, including CFO and treasurer, at real estate company Forestar Group over a 14-year tenure. [caption id="attachment_81717" align="alignright" width="200"] Jim Drotman, Ford Motor Credit [/caption] Jim Drotman named chief transformation officer of Ford Credit China Jim Drotman announced on LinkedIn recently that he was starting the position of chief transformation officer and chairman of Ford Credit China at Ford Credit . Drotman has been a part of Ford’s finance arm since 1993, starting as a dealer credit manager, according to LinkedIn . Throughout his career, Drotman has held positions with Ford’s U.S., Europe and China finance divisions. Navy Fed announces Cardona as COO Navy Federal Credit Union promoted Kara Cardona to chief operating officer after nearly 25 years with the credit union. Cardona succeeds Dietrich Kuhlmann , who replaced Mary McDuffie as the credit union’s chief executive. Kuhlmann assumed the position of chief executive following McDuffie’s recent retirement. Cardona joined Navy Federal Credit Union in 1999 as a part-time employee at a credit union branch, according to a company release. Since then, she has been executive vice president, executive vice president for contact center operations and greater Pensacola, Fla., operations, and senior vice president of greater Pensacola, Fla., according to LinkedIn. [caption id="attachment_58339002" align="alignright" width="300"] Dan Chait, JM Family Enterprises [/caption] Dan Chait promoted to president of JM Family Enterprises Automotive company JM Family Enterprises promoted Chief Operating Officer Dan Chait to president on March 12, succeeding Brent Burns . Chait will continue to hold the COO title, according to a JM Family release. Burns, who previously served as president and chief executive, remains the CEO. As president and COO, Chait will be responsible “for all company operations within JM Family” and will work closely with senior leadership, according to the release. Burns will continue to work with the company’s board of directors. Chait joined JM Family subsidiary Southeast Toyota Finance in 2002 as vice president of asset management and was named COO in May 2023, according to the company. Agora Data names Mancero managing director Automotive financier Agora Data appointed Sharon Mancero managing director March 5 to help direct the company’s growth. Prior to joining Agora, Mancero spent more than three decades at Wells Fargo , including 20 years in the bank’s asset-backed finance group, according to an Agora release. She previously served in board positions at the National Automotive Finance Association and was vice chair and chairperson of the American Financial Services Association . SAFCO appoints Kaliman VP of compliance and general counsel [caption id="attachment_58339004" align="alignright" width="300"] Marissa Kaliman, Southern Auto Finance Co. [/caption] Subprime auto lender Southern Auto Finance Co. named Marissa Kaliman vice president of compliance and general counsel on Feb. 23. Kaliman brings 14 years of experience to the Pompano Beach, Fla.-based auto lender. Prior to joining Southern Auto Finance Co. (SAFCO), Kaliman served as associate general counsel of defunct independent car dealership Off Lease Only , where she was responsible for “the legal department's day-to-day operations, overseeing regulatory matters, compliance, contract negotiation, insurance claims and litigation,” according to a SAFCO release. Kaliman has also held roles at various private practice law firms such as Givner Law Group , Akerman , and O’Quinn Stumphauzer . --Additional reporting by Riley Wolfbauer Registration is now available for Auto Finance Summit East 2024 , May 1-3 in Nashville, Tenn., which gathers lenders, dealers and fintech innovators in an event designed to bring the power of technology to a cross section of industry players. Visit AutoFinance.Live to learn more.

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