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Impel Partners with Xtime to Create the Industry’s First End-to-End Conversational AI Scheduling Solution. | Details

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Impel Partners with Xtime to Create the Industry’s First End-to-End Conversational AI Scheduling Solution. | Details

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Former Cox Automotive and LivePerson Executive Skip Dowd Joins Impel as Senior Director, Partnerships

SYRACUSE NY, May 14, 2024 — Impel, the global leader in AI-powered customer lifecycle management for the automotive industry, announced today that Skip Dowd has joined the company as Senior Director, Partnerships. Dowd brings more than thirty years of automotive retail experience to Impel, having previously served in leadership positions at Cox Automotive and Contact At Once! (acquired by LivePerson). Dowd has a history of success in high-growth environments and has successfully scaled software-as-a-service (SaaS) companies, including AutoMart.com (acquired by AutoTrader.com). This announcement comes at a time of rapid expansion for Impel and follows the Company’s recently announced partnerships with Audi of America, ACV Auctions, and CDK Global.

Skip is a seasoned executive with experience in operations and strategic partnerships for both large-scale and smaller -growth businesses. With a proven track record of bringing innovative products to market and cultivating lasting industry relationships, Dowd is recognized for his deep understanding of dealer, OEM, and third-party marketplace dynamics. As Senior Director, Partnerships at Impel, he will lead the continued growth of the Company’s partner network with a focus on expanding Impel’s AI technology and integration ecosystem, enhancing the company’s lifecycle management capabilities. 

“Nurturing and expanding our global partner ecosystem is essential to maintaining our position as the industry’s leading automotive AI provider for manufacturers and retailers alike,” said Devin Daly, Impel CEO and Co-Founder. “Impel AI serves as the foundational integration layer that unifies and increases the effectiveness of all existing systems in automotive retail. Working seamlessly with providers and partners around the globe is critical to maximizing the business and operational impact of AI for dealers and OEMs. Skip’s deep industry relationships and his wealth of experience in building mutually beneficial partnerships will be invaluable to our continued global expansion, and I’m thrilled to welcome him to the team!”

Dowd’s experience includes more than eight years as Vice President of Global Automotive for Contact At Once! While there, he led the deployment of some of the automotive industry’s first chat and text solutions, building and managing relationships with 6,000 auto dealers, OEMs, and third-party marketplaces. Prior to that, Dowd spent more than 18 years in a variety of roles at Cox Automotive, including VP and Group Manager where he founded and developed AutoMart.com. After AutoMart’s acquisition by AutoTrader.com, Dowd served as Director of New Initiatives and market strategies for AutoTrader.com. 

“The need for delivering a seamless customer experience while driving greater operational efficiency and productivity has never been greater, and during my time at Contact at Once! I witnessed firsthand the impact that text-based communications can have on dealership results and customer engagement. While conversational AI held promise, it wasn’t yet ready for automotive retail applications. However, the AI revolution is now, and it will transform every aspect of the customer journey and the industry’s retail and manufacturing operations,” said Skip Dowd. “With a unified generative conversational AI platform, deep automotive customization, and a robust global partner network, Impel is perfectly positioned to lead the transformation of automotive retailing. I couldn’t be more excited to join this outstanding team as they generate outsized business impact for vehicle retailers and OEMs across the globe.”    

About Impel

Impel offers automotive dealers, OEMs, and third-party marketplaces the industry’s most advanced AI-powered customer lifecycle platform. The company’s end-to-end omnichannel solution leverages proprietary shopper behavioral data and generative conversational AI technology to deliver hyper-personalized experiences at every touchpoint. Impel’s fully integrated platform works seamlessly with all major website, CRM, and DMS platforms. To date, the company has delivered 20 billion shopper interactions, influencing $5 billion in Sales and Service revenue across 51 countries.