• October 29, 2007

Finbarr O'Neill, the famed auto marketer who virtually created the idea of warranty as proxy for brand quality when he turned Hyundai around in 2002, has left auto dealership information company Reynolds and Reynolds.

The announcement comes on the one-year anniversary of the merger between Reynolds and Reynolds and Universal Computer Systems. O'Neill, vice chairman of the company throughout the first year of the merger, had been responsible for helping to lead the integration of the two companies.

O'Neill joined Reynolds in January 2005 as CEO, after a brief stint as head of Mitsubishi Motors North America.

Said O'Neill in a release: "It has been a privilege to have led Reynolds and Reynolds and to have helped guide the company through this transition, supporting our customers through it all. Reynolds has a strong culture of customer focus. That culture, coupled with the strong product focus that Bob brings, promises to deliver even greater value to Reynolds customers. Now, I look forward to the next chapter in my life."

--Karl Greenberg