Hagerty Taps Former sweetgreen VP to Head Its Digital Products Strategy

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Aug 03, 2021, 16:09 ET

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich., Aug. 3, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Hagerty announced the addition of a new executive to its growing digital leadership team, with Dan Beranek being named Senior Vice President of Product Management. Beranek's hiring is one of several recent strategic additions as the company continues its growth as a leading automotive lifestyle brand. Beranek will be responsible for leading the digital product development practice reporting to Kelly Smith, Chief Strategy Officer.

"We're inspired by all the ways digital products can support and even enhance tangible, real-world, sensory-filled experiences like taking a car for an evening drive or piloting around a circuit at speed," said McKeel Hagerty, CEO of Hagerty. "Dan's strategic and customer-centric approach will help enrich our members' experiences, whether seated in their living room, walking a concours field or behind the wheel of their favorite car."

Hagerty offers a full spectrum of digital products for car lovers around the globe, including My Garage, a virtual vehicle storage space, showroom, and hangout; DriveShare, a peer-to-peer enthusiast car sharing platform; Hagerty Insider, an app and publication which empowers users to track value trends across more than 47,000 vehicles; Hagerty Market Rating, an industry-leading indicator which monitors broad trends in the collector car market; and more. In his role, Beranek will be responsible for integrating with leadership to create a digital roadmap inclusive of existing properties and new partner offerings.

"I'm fascinated by the vision McKeel and Kelly have laid out for Hagerty, and am excited to help bring to life the auto enthusiast platform opportunity we're so uniquely positioned to own," said Beranek.

Dan joins Hagerty after four years as Vice President of Digital Product and Experience at sweetgreen, a digital-first, fast-casual restaurant brand. During his time at sweetgreen Dan defined the digital platform and go-to-market strategy and was successful in helping the brand secure $250M in capital investment that drove its valuation to over $1B with fewer than 100 US stores.

Prior to sweetgreen, Dan held key digital leadership roles at Starbucks. Reporting to the Chief Digital Officer, Dan served as Director of Digital Ordering and GM of the Mobile Order & Pay initiative, taking the idea of skipping the line for your coffee from inception to international scale. He has also held product, marketing, and user experience leadership positions at Target and Target.com.

About Hagerty
Hagerty is an automotive enthusiast brand offering integrated membership products and programs. Hagerty is home to Hagerty Drivers Club, Hagerty DriveShare, Hagerty Valuation Tools, Hagerty Media, Hagerty Drivers Club magazine, MotorsportReg, Hagerty Garage + Social, the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance, the Concours d'Elegance of America, the Greenwich Concours d'Elegance, the California Mille and more. Hagerty is a leading provider of specialty insurance for enthusiast vehicles. For more information, call (800) 922-4050 or visit www.hagerty.com.

Media Contact
Kevin Fisher, Hagerty, [email protected]
Laura Gannon, Pomp & Circumstance PR, [email protected]

SOURCE Hagerty