About Autoquake.com

Management team

Autoquake.com is run by a team of people from a wide variety of backgrounds who are at the leading edge of e-commerce and the automotive industry in the UK, and around the world.

Our blend of consumer skills and technical understanding and entrepreneurial spirit has allowed us to bring Autoquake.com to the forefront of the online UK automotive sales industry.

Dermot Halpin

CEO Autoquake.com uses the internet to help people to purchase cars in a more transparent way... read more

What do you do?

I am responsible for the overall direction of Autoquake.com. My challenge is to ensure that we become a world class ecommerce company delivering an exceptional customer experience.

Why work for Autoquake.com?

Autoquake.com is at the forefront of change in a fragmented industry that has been slow to harness the power of the internet. At Expedia we were the internet pioneers who made travel products available to consumers in an easy and transparent way. We built one of the biggest travel companies in the world by helping consumers find the right flights and hotels at lower prices, and by helping the hotels and airlines to improve their margins by providing a new and efficient method of distribution.

There are clear parallels with Autoquake.com which uses the internet to help people to purchase cars in a more transparent way, and at the same time helps fleets to make their inventory available directly to consumers to achieve higher returns.

What did you do before?

I spent over 7 years at Expedia, for the past 3 years as President for Expedia Europe. I hold an MBA from INSEAD and studied Engineering at University College Dublin, Ireland.

What do you drive?

I live in central London so it's more convenient to get around on a moped.

Troy Kaser

CTO I'm responsible for making sure that Autoquake.com is a world class ecommerce company... read more

What do you do?

As Chief Technology Officer, I'm responsible for making sure that Autoquake.com is a world class ecommerce company. My team and I are focused on ensuring our customers have a fantastic web experience and that our operations are highly efficient. The web is fast evolving and making sure that we continue to innovate and drive investment in new technology is integral to my role as CTO.

Why work for Autoquake.com?

I jumped at the chance to get in on the ground floor of a company that I am confident will be a global success. The Autoquake.com team has a great blend of ecommerce and automotive experience. I'm excited about how we are using our combined knowledge to help customers get the best deal on a second hand car while also having a stress-free buying experience.

What did you do before?

I joined Autoquake.com from Expedia, the world's largest online travel agency, where I was a Vice President of Engineering. Prior to this role I was the company's Senior Director of European Product Development working on Expedia's properties in 11 European countries. The parallels between the travel and automotive industries are strong. Expedia harnessed the power of the internet to help customers buy travel in a new and completely transparent way. Autoquake is at the forefront of this evolution in the used car industry.

What do you drive?

I've actually just bought my first car in the UK since moving across the pond 3 years ago. I bought an Audi A3 from where else but Autoquake.com!

Mark Brophy

VP ECOMMERCE The UK online used car market is a colossal emerging growth opportunity.... read more

What do you do?

I'm responsible for making it simple for our customers to use our site and ultimately find the right car. I work closely with the different areas of the business to ensure that we develop the right products to help achieve our objective of making Autoquake.com the best place for people to buy a car online. We want to ensure that we provide an excellent customer experience throughout the process; on our internet site, in our call centres and at our pick up centres.

Why work for Autoquake.com?

The automotive industry is in the early stages of developing and integrating effective ecommerce offerings. It is an exciting time to work in this vertical where it is possible to become the market leader and set the standards which consumers will come to expect over the next few years.

What did you do before?

I have just moved back from Rome where I was working as Senior Ecommerce Director for Venere.com and before that I worked as Ecommerce Director and Call centre Director for Hotels.com (both Expedia Inc companies). Prior to my time in Expedia, I worked for a management consulting company in Stockholm. I hold a BDes in Industrial Design from National College of Art & Design (Ireland) and an MSc in Computing and Design from University of Ulster.

What do you drive?

I have a Vespa as I live and work in central London, which beats the tube in the summer! At the moment the car I would like to be driving is the Audi R8, which is a car design that I really like.

Fredrik Skantze

VP OF SUPPLY & CO-FOUNDER It truly feels like we have created a better way of buying cars and that is hugely rewarding... read more

What do you do?

I work with the different teams at Autoquake.com to drive our marketing and product development. This spans everything from online marketing to product management and web design. We work hard to make sure we provide the best experience to anyone interested in buying a used car online.

Why work for Autoquake.com?

I had always felt let down by the experience of buying a used car. Cars were hard to find, often overpriced and there was a need to haggle to get the best deal. When Jeanette and I founded Autoquake.com this is what we set out to change. It has been fantastically rewarding to hear all the positive customer feedback that we've had over the years. It truly feels like we have created a better way of buying cars and that is hugely rewarding.

What did you do before?

Prior to founding Autoquake.com I worked for Openwave where I held a number of positions, including Business Unit Leader for Openwave's largest unit which generated annual revenue of £70M. In my early career, I worked at eBay and ABB, where I was the driving force behind a number of software development projects in the automotive industry. Having an MBA from Stanford Business School, a Masters in Mechanical Engineering from MIT and a Degree in Electrical Engineering from Brown University I am probably the most overeducated used car salesman in the country.

What do you drive?

I drive a Mercedes CLK. I have always loved the CLK - it is beautifully designed and sporty car while still comfortably fitting four adults and providing a lot of luggage room. I bought the car just before we started Autoquake.com and because I became frustrated with all the overpriced CLKs I found in Mercedes dealer showrooms I ended up buying it new. Buying it through Autoquake.com would have saved me a lot of money and that's certainly where I will buy my next car.

Alan Burns

CFO Autoquake has a powerful business model which stands apart in the automotive industry.... read more

What do you do?

My job is to manage Autoquake's finances - I forecast and report on the company's financial performance, and work with the rest of the leadership team to drive execution of the business' strategy.

Why work for Autoquake.com?

Autoquake operates in a large marketplace, but is constantly challenging how that marketplace operates. Because of this, the company is exciting and vibrant, and lives by true entrepreneurial values. And as a result, it's a fun and interesting place to work.

What did you do before?

I spent 9 years working at Expedia - most recently, I was the VP Finance for Expedia's Hotels.com and Venere.com brands. Before that, I was VP Finance for Expedia's European portfolio of businesses during a period of extremely rapid growth for that part of the business. Prior to joining Expedia, I trained as a Chartered Accountant at KPMG, spending almost 6 years there. During this time, I worked in audit, and later in transaction services, across a wide range of travel and technology companies.

What do you drive?

I would like to say that I spin around town in a red Mini Cooper S (and in fact, until a couple of years ago, I could have actually said this). However needs must, and my growing family means that I now get around in a Range Rover Sport HSE.

Karl Marriott

VP CUSTOMER CONTACT
& CAR OPERATIONS Autoquake's growth and achievements in the last year have been truly remarkable... read more

What do you do?

I'm responsible for all points of customer contact and the on-site operations at our handover centres.

What did you do before?

Previously I was VP Operations at Expedia and over the past ten years I've created and been responsible for the contact centre and fulfilment strategy for Expedia in Europe.

Why Autoquake.com?

Because low prices go hand-in-hand with buying your car on the internet:

What people are saying about us

John Shaw bought a VW Golf

"I bought my last car in 2001 through a dealer that I found through the Auto Trader magazine. On this occasion I went back to Auto Trader, but used their internet search facility Autoquake... " ... read more

View customer opinions