CARSON, Calif., PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- U.S. Auto Parts Network, Inc. , a leading online provider of aftermarket auto parts and accessories, today announced that Josh Berman, MySpace Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer and Jeffrey Schwartz, the former Chief Executive Officer of Autobytel have joined the Company's Board of Directors.
"We are very fortunate to welcome Josh and Jeff to the Board of Directors of U.S. Auto Parts," said Robert J Majteles, Chairman of the Board. "We are pleased with the level of talent we are attracting to our Board of Directors and believe it is indicative of the Company's compelling business platform and significant future growth opportunities. Together with the recent addition of Barry Phelps, we believe we have completed the process of building a strong, public company Board of Directors and we look forward to serving our shareholders well."
"We believe Josh and Jeff bring to the Board several years of experience and proven track records with leading online marketing and automotive companies, making them valuable resources to U.S. Auto Parts," said Shane Evangelist, Chief Executive Officer. "We look forward to having the expertise and guidance of these two senior executives benefiting U.S. Auto Parts as we prepare the Company for its next stage of growth."
Josh Berman is the Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of MySpace.com, a leading online lifestyle portal. Under Mr. Berman's leadership, MySpace has grown exponentially since its launch in 2004, with an average of 300,000 new users signing up daily and 115 million current active users worldwide. Mr. Berman formerly co-founded and managed two successful Internet companies, ResponseBase Marketing, where he held positions as the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer, and Xdrive Technologies, where he served as Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President of Corporate Development. Mr. Berman was also a management consultant with PricewaterhouseCoopers and an international marketing manager and a senior financial analyst at Twentieth Century Fox. Mr. Berman received his M.B.A. from the University of Southern California, his B.A. from U.C. Santa Barbara, and is a CPA in the State of California.
"As a leader in the online auto parts market, I believe U.S. Auto Parts has the technology, people, and resources to continue to drive growth in the industry as well as its market share," said Mr. Berman. "I look forward to working with the management team and the Board as we seek to achieve the Company's strategic initiatives and capitalize on these opportunities."
Mr. Schwartz brings eight years of automotive marketing experience to the Company's Board of Directors. He currently serves as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Vertical Passion Media, a media and marketing company focused on classified listings, content and community in the motors category. Prior to founding Vertical Passion Media, Mr. Schwartz served as Chairman and CEO of AutoCentro, an automotive dealership group. From 2001 to 2006, Mr. Schwartz served in various senior executive positions at Autobytel, including President and CEO, and most recently as Director and Vice Chairman. During Mr. Schwartz's tenure, Autobytel became a leading automotive marketing services company, delivering a diversified set of marketing, media, and CRM products to its 25,000 dealer franchises and every major automotive manufacturer. Under Mr. Schwartz's leadership, the Company experienced a ten-fold increase in market capitalization and consistent profitability and cash flow generation. Prior to Autobytel, Mr. Schwartz was President and CEO of Autoweb, another NASDAQ listed company, and Vice President, Corporate Affairs at The Walt Disney Company. Mr. Schwartz served as director of the Internet Advertising Bureau and was named Outstanding Public Company Executive by the American Electronics Association. Mr. Schwartz holds a Bachelors, Masters, and Ph.D. from the University of Southern California.
"I am excited to be joining the U.S. Auto Parts' team at this exciting stage of the Company's development," said Mr. Schwartz. "I believe U.S. Auto Parts is well-positioned to build upon its market leading position within the high-growth aftermarket auto parts and accessories category. I look forward to utilizing my background and experience to continue the achievements the existing management team and Board of Directors have made to date."
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