ATLANTA ─ Equifax announced three new hires to lead its Automotive Services division, which serves dealers, lenders and industry service providers. The new additions include David Foerster, who will serve as general manager, Paul Gessler, who will act as automotive subject matter expert, and Edie Hirtenstein, who assumes the role of senior director of product management.
Foerster brings more than 20 years of experience in executive level sales, operations, business development and marketing. As general manager of Automotive Services, Foerster will collaborate with all units serving the auto industry to establish its presence within the automotive community. Prior to Equifax, he served as vice president of sales and operations for Automatic Data Processing (ADP), where he increased the company’s revenue by $10 million between 2006 and 2011 while maintaining a client retention rate of 98 percent.
Gessler will leverage his more than 20 years of industry sales and consulting experience in his new role as subject matter expert. Formerly with CSC, a provider of technology-enabled business solutions and services, Gessler spent two decades working directly with OEMs, dealers and parts suppliers to deliver value to customers. At Equifax, he will oversee new business and partnership development as well as its go-to-market implementation.
With more than two decades of product management and product marketing experience, Hirtenstein most recently served as director of data services and business development for instaVIN, a provider of vehicle history reports. While at instaVIN, she managed the launch of its e-commerce service, established data acquisition relationships with numerous companies and government entities. She also created or assisted with development of business proposals and managed the relationship with affiliates such as online automotive retailers CycleTrader.com, ClassicCars.com and Copart, and DecodeThis. Prior to joining instaVIN, she worked as senior product manager for Experian Automotive.
“As the automotive industry continues its trajectory of sustained growth, Equifax’s role as a leader in this space is critically important,” said Joy Wilder Morgan, senior vice president of Equifax Financial Services Group. “We are excited about the addition of Edie, David and Paul to our team, given their expertise in every area within the auto ecosystem. With their leadership, Equifax will accelerate our ability to provide the auto community with tools, solutions, and insights beyond the traditional credit score.
