Cars.com Names Tobias Hartmann CEO Effective January 15, 2026, Succeeding Alex Vetter

Benzinga · 2d ago

Industry veteran to pass the reins to accomplished leader with proven track record for scaling digital B2C and B2B companies as part of company's CEO succession plan

CHICAGO, Dec. 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Cars.com Inc. (NYSE:CARS) (d/b/a "Cars Commerce Inc."), today announced that Tobias ("Tobi") Hartmann will become the company's next Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and be appointed to the Board of Directors, effective January 15, 2026. Hartmann succeeds Alex Vetter, who will step down as CEO and a member of the company's Board of Directors, effective January 15, 2026. Vetter will serve as an advisor to the company from that date through March 31, 2026 to facilitate a smooth transition.

Hartmann has more than 25 years of experience delivering growth and creating long-term shareholder value across B2C and B2B technology, eCommerce and marketplace companies. Most recently, he was CEO and Chairman of the Management Board for Scout24 SE Group, the parent company for ImmoScout24, one of the leading European digital real estate marketplaces, where he transformed the company's strategy and accelerated revenue and margin growth to new record levels. Previously, Hartmann served as President U.S. and member of the Executive Management Board of HelloFresh SE, helping the global food solutions company to become the U.S. market leader. Prior to that, he led the carve-out of eBay Enterprise from eBay Inc. to form a new service-provider for omnichannel and commerce technology solutions.