Catalyst IQ Names Automotive Marketing Veteran Michael Lein Senior Vice President, Tier 3 Sales

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Apr 27, 2026, 13:10 ET

Lein will guide Catalyst IQ's Business Development and Dealer Success teams, helping automotive dealership clients turn live data into actionable insights, increased sales

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., April 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Catalyst IQ has named Michael Lein Senior Vice President, Tier 3 Sales. In this role, Lein will lead the Catalyst IQ Business Development and Dealer Success teams, helping automotive retailers turn live market data into actionable insights and highly targeted marketing campaigns.

Michael Lein, Senior Vice President, Tier 3 Sales, Catalyst IQ

"Michael Lein is a proven leader in the automotive retail technology world, bringing consultative selling expertise to help our clients make smarter decisions at market speed," said Andy Lobred, CEO of Catalyst IQ. "In addition, Michael is adept at building high-performing sales organizations and developing world-class talent, which will ultimately help improve our client marketing results."

Prior to joining Catalyst IQ, Lein led sales initiatives for C-4 Analytics, a digital marketing company focused on automotive retailing. He has also held executive sales positions with Affinitiv, Inc., and Higher Gear CRM, where he led sales, forecasting and software training for a variety of automotive clients. He is a graduate of State University of New York – Albany.

"Joining Catalyst IQ is an incredible opportunity, as the company's people-first philosophy aligns with my own goals and values," Lein said. "This is an amazing team of marketing professionals with access to some of the most compelling data, analytic tools and advertising services available in the automotive retailing world today. I look forward to helping our clients drive industry-leading results, while creating professional growth opportunities for our team."

Catalyst IQ was launched earlier this year when Advance Automotive united four of its existing industry-leading companies—Adpearance, Fox Dealer, Search Optics, and ZeroSum – under one brand. Catalyst IQ is powered by its proprietary MarketAI^® platform, helping automotive retailers make smarter decisions at market speed.

About Catalyst IQ

Catalyst IQ is an automotive marketing technology company that delivers data‑driven intelligence and high‑efficiency advertising solutions for OEMs, regional associations, and dealerships. Launched in January 2026, Catalyst IQ unites the strengths of Adpearance, Fox Dealer, Search Optics, and ZeroSum.

Catalyst IQ supports more than 1,300 dealerships and serves as a certified digital marketing provider for 24 Tier 3 OEM programs, giving the company a deep footprint across the automotive retail ecosystem.

At the center of Catalyst IQ's offerings is MarketAI^®, the company's proprietary automotive intelligence software. MarketAI tracks nearly 20,000 franchise dealers and 99% of independent dealerships nationwide, delivering real‑time visibility into market conditions and shopper behavior. This intelligence powers Catalyst IQ's marketing and advertising solutions across Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3, helping automotive brands act faster, target smarter, and achieve stronger results at lower cost.

Catalyst IQ is headquartered in Ada, Michigan, with team members located across the United States.

Learn more at CatalystIQ.com.

About Advance Automotive

Created in 2017, Advance Automotive is a portfolio of automotive, technology, marketing, data, and software businesses providing AI-driven marketing solutions in the automotive industry. Advance Automotive includes independently operated agency Catalyst IQ, data and analytics from Cloud Theory and dynamic ad creation solutions from Hoot Interactive. Advance Automotive is part of Advance Local, a key unit of Advance, a privately held company founded in 1922.

Advance's portfolio of exceptional companies includes: