Sonic Automotive, Inc. announced the retirement of Rachel Richards as the company?s Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). Dino Bernacchi will be promoted to Chief Marketing Officer of the company effective May 1, 2024. Rachel Richards joined Sonic Automotive in 2006 as the company?s Vice President of Retail Strategy and became the company?s first Chief Marketing Officer in 2014.

Rachel has been a pivotal member of the executive team for almost two decades, spearheading Sonic Automotive?s strategic planning process and having operational leadership responsibility for traffic management, business application development, website management, brand marketing, guest experience and loyalty, and digital and social media marketing. In addition to successfully navigating the company through the advertising industry revolution of traditional to digital marketing, she was the strategic creator and operational owner of Sonic Automotive?s Guest Experience Center, handling inbound and outbound guest communications via digital transformation. In addition to her many operational and strategic contributions, Rachel?s passion for and commitment to developing others was present throughout her career, most recently having served as the executive sponsor of the company?s Women?s Leadership Program when it launched in 2022.

Dino Bernacchi will replace Richards upon her retirement. Bernacchi joined the company in October 2021 as the Chief Marketing Officer for EchoPark Automotive. In his position with EchoPark Automotive, Bernacchi promoted the company?s brand positioning, marketing efficiencies, and effectiveness, which led the team to receive a YouTube Excellence Award in 2023 for best-in-class search and brand lift based on the company?s new creative and branding approach which resulted in a 92% growth in brand search.

Most recently, his responsibilities expanded to include marketing strategy and execution for the company?s newly launched Powersports division. Bernacchi is an automotive industry veteran, having spent most of his career with retailers such as General Motors, Mazda, and Harley-Davidson, managing every facet of marketing, including but not limited to local market retail digital marketing and advertising, e-commerce, customer relationship management, sponsorships, entertainment marketing, customer call centers, traditional advertising, research, analytics, and non-traditional marketing efforts. Upon this promotion, Bernacchi assumes responsibility for Sonic Automotive?s franchise dealership marketing and retains marketing responsibility for EchoPark Automotive and Sonic Powersports.