Ravi Simhambhatla has been appointed Executive Vice President and Chief Technology and AI Officer at AutoNation, effective October 1, 2026. In his new role, he will lead the company’s technology, data science and artificial intelligence agenda.
Simhambhatla brings more than 30 years of experience in enterprise technology and digital transformation, with expertise across data, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, product innovation and customer experience. His career has included senior technology and digital leadership positions across the automotive, aviation, technology and transportation sectors.
Prior to joining AutoNation, Simhambhatla served as Executive Vice President and Chief Digital and Innovation Officer at Avis Budget Group. He joined Avis Budget Group in 2022 and led its global technology organisation. In his most recent role, his responsibilities included technology, product, data, engineering, infrastructure and cybersecurity, while also advancing the company’s adoption of AI and connected-fleet technology.
Before Avis Budget Group, Simhambhatla served as a Managing Director at Google Cloud, where he advised major enterprises on cloud, data and AI transformation. Earlier, he held technology leadership positions at United Airlines, including Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, and previously served as Vice President, Commercial Technology.
His earlier career includes senior technology roles at Aer Lingus, Tesla Motors and Virgin America. At Aer Lingus, he served as Chief Technology Officer, while at Tesla he was Vice President of Information Technology. He later served as Chief Information Officer at Virgin America, where he was involved in building the airline’s digital and e-commerce platforms.
At AutoNation, Simhambhatla will bring this experience to a technology leadership role spanning technology, data science and AI. The appointment comes as the automotive retailer looks to use technology and AI across its business and customer operations.
AutoNation CEO Mike Manley said, “Technology, data science, and the intelligent use of AI give us the opportunity to get significantly more from that foundation: to raise the returns on our capital and extend our reach well beyond traditional geographic boundaries.”
Simhambhatla said, “I am honored to join AutoNation at an important point in the evolution of automotive retail.” He added that he looks forward to applying technology and AI in practical ways to make the customer journey easier, equip associates with better tools and insights, and support the company’s next phase of growth.
With his appointment, Simhambhatla takes on responsibility for AutoNation’s technology, data science and AI agenda, bringing more than three decades of experience across enterprise technology, digital transformation, data, AI and cybersecurity to the role.
