Longtime automotive marketing Shelley Washburn has joined Group 1 Automotive, operator of 199 dealerships in the U.S. and U.K., as vice president of marketing and chief marketing officer.

Washburn’s automotive marketing and retail experience covers 30 years, most recently with automotive digital marketing firms Gulf States Marketing as president and Force Marketing as a strategic advisor.

Her resume also includes positions with Ford, MSX International and a Lincoln dealership, and having served on the board of the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles.

Group 1 president and CEO Daryl Kenningham called Washburn “an accomplished automotive industry leader who will bring innovation to our customer engagement and marketing strategies.”

Washburn said she is excited about “the opportunity to leverage my diverse marketing and automotive industry experience to drive continued company growth, shareholder value and, most important, customer experience.”

“With the changing landscape in how customers want to interact with dealers and how they consume media, it’s an exciting time to be part of such an innovative team where we can make a difference,” she said.