January 23, 2025

Didcot Gateway

Building Cars, People First

AutoNation CEO Cheryl Miller on leave for health reasons; Mike Jackson will fill in

AutoNation Inc., the largest U.S. auto dealership group, said CEO Cheryl Miller has been granted a leave of absence for health reasons.

Executive Chairman Mike Jackson will serve as chief executive until Miller returns, the company said in a U.S. regulatory filing Monday.  

The moves are effective immediately.

Miller, 47, became CEO in July after the departure of Carl Liebert, an industry outsider who held the job for four months after succeeding longtime CEO Jackson.

The Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based company did not disclose any further details about Miller’s health or indicate when she was expected to return. 

Earlier this month, AutoNation said its sales of new and used vehicles halved in the last two weeks of March due to global coronavirus-led lockdowns, forcing the company to place about 7,000 employees on unpaid leave.

The company said it implemented measures to cut costs, including temporary pay cuts for staff, curtailment of advertising expenses and postponing over $50 million in capital expenditure through the second quarter of 2020.