Cars.com Appoints Brooke Skinner Ricketts as Chief Marketing Officer

Cars.com announced today the appointment of Brooke Skinner Ricketts as the company’s chief marketing officer (CMO), effective immediately. Skinner Ricketts most recently served as vice president of brand and design at Avant. Previously she was head of brand strategy at Twitter, where she delivered revenue-driving creative ideas for Fortune 200 clients.

“Cars.com is here to help people win, and by welcoming Brooke, we’re delivering on that promise,” said Alex Vetter, president and chief executive officer of Cars.com. “As we prepare to become an independent, publicly traded company in early 2017, Brooke’s strong track record of optimizing marketing effectiveness and implementing forward-thinking brand strategies will move Cars.com toward becoming the trusted platform of choice for automotive consumers and advertisers alike.”

“I’m thrilled to be joining the team at Cars.com and becoming part of one of Chicago’s homegrown digital pioneers,” Skinner Ricketts said. “It’s such an exciting time for Cars.com and I know that the company and the brand are both in a great position to grow and thrive in the next stage of our evolution.”

Prior to her time at Avant and Twitter, Skinner Ricketts was senior vice president of brand strategy at DigitasLBi from 2011 until 2014. Her responsibilities included building a strategy practice and opening a new office in San Francisco. From 2004 until 2011, Skinner Ricketts led efforts to refresh brand relevance across a large global portfolio at FCB and DraftFCB. While there, she quickly climbed the ladder from strategic planner to senior vice president of global strategic planning. Skinner Ricketts launched her career at Doe Anderson and PriceWeber in Louisville, Kentucky.

Skinner Ricketts received her bachelor of arts degree from Bard College at Simon’s Rock in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. In 2014, she was recognized by Crain’s Chicago Business as a member of its 40 Under 40 class and, this year, she was named to Crain’s Tech 50 list. Skinner Ricketts became a Leadership Greater Chicago Fellow in 2014 and is on the boards of Housing Opportunities for Women, Chicago Cubs Charities and She100.