Christopher Gross Named COO of Chug, the Search Engine for Cars

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 30, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Chug (www.chug.net), the search engine for cars, today announced that Christopher Gross has joined the company as chief operating officer.  An experienced leader in automotive, technology, finance and retail sales, Gross is charged with running the day-to-day operations of the rapidly growing company that helps consumers find cars for sale at over 40,000 dealers nationwide, through over 3.5 million active online listings -- more than any other website.

Gross comes to Chug from Cartelligent, a car buying and advisory service, where he served as vice president of sales. Under Gross' leadership, Cartelligent broke records for revenue and new clients in 2010. 

"Chris is a proven leader who brings a wealth of sales, operations, finance and automotive expertise to Chug," said Len Short, CEO of Chug.  "Chris understands the pain points for both consumers and dealers.  This, combined with his solid track record building successful channel and B2C organizations, makes him a perfect match for Chug and its goal of providing consumers with a more comprehensive search experience, and auto dealers with what they want - in-market buyers linked directly to their virtual showrooms."

Prior to Cartelligent, Gross worked at OQO, a manufacturer and marketer of the 1st commercially viable Ultra Mobile Personal Computer, where he was responsible for successfully building the company's retail business from the ground up.  Previously, Chris served as a vice president at Saints Capital and held various sales and operations roles at Financial Engines.  A graduate of the University of Arizona, Gross received an MBA from Harvard Business School.

"I love that Chug is not just another car research website, but is, instead, focused solely on the most critical part of the car buying process:  finding a vehicle for sale in the exact make, model, color and option package a consumer wants – and without the hassle of going to 20 different websites," said Gross. 

About Chug

Chug (www.chug.net) is the first true search engine for cars, with over 3.5 million vehicle listings. By crawling and indexing over 40,000 US auto dealers, Chug provides car shoppers with access to the industry's most comprehensive and accurate view of vehicles currently for sale, and listings sorted to precisely match consumer preference.   Created by a veteran team of technology, Internet and media innovators to remove the barriers that frustrate both online car-buyers and sellers, Chug accelerates the connection between consumer and dealer.  Buyers benefit because they can easily search for any make, model, year, and/or color, then click directly to the dealer site to learn more -- or opt to interact without surrendering personal information.  Dealers benefit from broad exposure of their active vehicles to in-market car shoppers, and immediate connection to interested car buyers.

Chug Media Contacts:

Melanie Webber ([email protected]), mWEBB Communications, 424.603.4340
Angela Jacobson ([email protected]), mWEBB Communications, 714.454.8776

SOURCE Chug