CDK Global Announces New CEO Transition Plan

CDK Global has announced the retirement of CEO Steve Anenen and the appointment of company board member Brian P. MacDonald as chief executive officer. MacDonald will take Anenen’s place no later than the end of the fiscal year, thus June 30, 2016.

While MacDonald won’t take over as CEO of CDK immediately, he will start begin working as the company’s president. Effective January 1, 2016 MacDonald will serve as president of CDK Global. While president or eventually CEO, MacDonald brings significant executive experience to the positions. He served as president and CEO of Hertz Rental Equipment Corporation, ETP Holdco Corp. and Sunoco.

With MacDonald coming in and Anenen retiring, a legacy is left behind. In a press release, Leslie A. Brun, CDK’s non-executive chairman of the board spoke about what Anenen did for CDK. “Steve has been critical to building CDK’s business and guiding CDK’s transformation following its successful spinoff from ADP, and thanks to his leadership, CDK is well positioned for continued success,” Brun said. “On behalf of the board and management team, we are grateful for Steve’s numerous contributions and accomplishments over his career and look forward to continuing to work with him as we implement this succession plan.”

In a statement, Anenen also expressed his thoughts on his retirement from CDK. Looking back at his career of service, Anenen said, “It has been a privilege and a highlight of my professional career to work alongside the dedicated and talented associates at CDK and to serve our clients worldwide. Since our successful spinoff from ADP, we have developed and are executing a transformation plan that will serve as a foundation for continued value creation and success, and I believe now is the logical time for me to begin the process of turning the reins over to CDK’s next CEO. I am committed to supporting a seamless transition and have great confidence in CDK’s ability to continue to thrive under Brian’s leadership.”

Anenen and MacDonald will be working together on the management transition. MacDonald spoke about what the next few months hold for him in a press release published by CDK. “I am honored to be selected to succeed Steve as CDK’s next CEO,” MacDonald said. “Under Steve’s leadership, CDK has established a track record of strong execution and I hope to build on his legacy as I step into my new role. Over the coming months, I will be working closely with Steve and the rest of the management team to ensure a smooth leadership transition. My focus will be executing CDK’s transformation plan while positioning CDK to continue delivering long-term value for shareholders, clients and associates well into the future.”