Management Team

Dale Pollak

Founder and Chairman of the Board

Drawing from 13 years of experience as a dealer principal and eight years as a successful high-technology executive, serving the automotive retail industry, Dale Pollak is a highly sought-after authority on maximizing dealership profits from used vehicle operations.

Pollak provides profound insight into the everyday challenges faced by today's principals and managers. Recognized as a speaker who educates, challenges and motivates his audience, he has presented innovative management disciplines at every major automotive industry event and has worked extensively with Dealer 20 Groups, Dealer Associations and large dealer enterprises across the country. Check out his upcoming seminar schedule.

In addition to his regular contributions to auto industry publications like Digital Dealer, Pollak has just released a book on best practices in successful used vehicle operations. Velocity: >From the Front Line to the Bottom Line is a guide for used car dealers that compiles Pollak’s more than 20 years of observations, best practices and strategies.

Pollak also writes a regularly updated blog. It captures ideas he continues to develop throughout his visits with the country’s leading dealerships, and often prompts fascinating discussions among industry leaders.

Pollak received his B.S. in business administration from Indiana University and is a graduate of the General Motors Institute of Automotive Development. Pollak also earned a law degree from DePaul University's College of Law, and is a four-time winner of the American Jurisprudence Award for top performance in his class.

Keith Jezek

President and Chief Executive Officer

Keith Jezek possesses more than 15 years of experience in executive management with high technology firms, holding key leadership positions with ADP, Digital Motorworks, LP, TraveLogix and Tallard BV in the last 10 years alone. Under his stewardship, those firms experienced revenue increases of up to 900% within a five-year period. One of these firms, Digital Motorworks, went on to be named among the fastest growing companies in North America by Inc. magazine in 2002.

This acknowledged track record of providing leadership and "hyper-growth" to organizations has made Jezek a highly regarded and well-recognized principal executive. Elected to the Young President's Association in 2004, he stands among the most successful young leaders in the U.S.

Jezek received his B.A. in English from the University of Texas at Austin, and his MBA in finance from the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin.

Michael Chiovari

Co-founder, Vice President of Development

As co-founder of vAuto, Michael Chiovari has been instrumental in leading the company's software development team throughout all phases of the system's creation. Early in his career, as controller of a large metropolitan automotive dealership in the Midwest, Chiovari obtained a comprehensive inside view of all aspects of dealership management, providing insight and experience used in the design and implementation of the vAuto solution. Chiovari also has nearly a decade of experience as Vice President of Development with Deutsche Bank, a leader in global investment banking with more than one trillion dollars in assets and more than 60,000 employees. There, he guided several IT teams — ranging from corporate accounting, managing and developing technology applications — to support the company's extensive operations.

Chiovari graduated Summa Cum Laude with a B.S. in computer information systems from DeVry University and a degree in Electrical Engineering/Computer Science from the University of Illinois. Chiovari is also a certified public accountant (CPA).

John Griffin

Vice President of Performance Management

John Griffin brings a wealth of automotive retail experience to the vAuto management team. Griffin has more than 20 years of executive management experience at some of the most successful dealer groups in the country. Designing and implementing highly effective sales and operational management processes throughout his career, he has developed a specialty as an accomplished trainer, providing results-driven training programs for all levels of dealership personnel. Griffin has also provided consulting services to manufacturers, re-marketers, auctions and suppliers in the automotive industry.

Griffin received his B.S. in economics from the University of Dayton, and his M.B.A. from DePaul University's Graduate School of Business. He has also completed comprehensive management training through OEM executive and dealer development programs.

David Hawkins

Vice President of Research and Development

David Hawkins brings more than 15 years of experience in developing products and technology for the automotive retail industry. Prior to joining vAuto, David was Chief Technology Officer and Vice Presdent of R&D for Digital Motorworks (DMI). As DMI's first employee, David designed and architected the company's content delivery solution. He has developed innovative technology solutions which have enabled several of the automotive industry's most popular internet portals. Before joining DMI, David was a successful entrepreneur in Austin, Texas, where he ran several businesses, including an independent automotive consulting group.