Dale Pollak’s career in the automotive industry spans more than four decades. As a dealer, technology entrepreneur and best-selling author, Pollak has helped over 12,000 automotive dealers in North America make dramatic improvements in their new and used vehicle operations.
As part of Cox Automotive’s executive team, Pollak drives integrated innovation across the company’s auction, media and software divisions to help dealers increase efficiencies, sales volumes and profitability. Dale’s latest innovation, ProfitTime GPS, is purpose-built to help dealers execute a Variable Management strategy for their used vehicle inventories. The Variable strategy allows dealers to more effectively manage the investment value of individual used vehicles to help dealers optimize ROI. Pollak also provided the vision behind Cox Automotive’s Upside solution, which gives dealers a guaranteed profit for vehicles they sell in Cox Automotive’s Manheim Marketplace.
Prior to joining Cox, Pollak led the company he founded, vAuto, to become the leading inventory management solution provider in North America. Pollak sold vAuto to Cox Automotive in 2010, joining the company’s executive team.
A former Cadillac dealer in Chicago, Pollak’s entrepreneurial career resulted from his unique circumstances of not being able to physically see his dealership’s used vehicle inventory due to a degenerative retinal condition. This led Pollak to craft software solutions based on local market demand/supply metrics that informed critical used vehicle decisions.
Pollak has authored six books that support his management philosophies and related solutions. He published his latest book, “Whole Truth: A Fresh Money-Making Approach to Wholesale, the Most Misunderstood Side of Your Business,” in 2022.
Pollak holds a Bachelor of Science in business administration from Indiana University, a law degree from DePaul University’s College of Law, and is a four-time winner of the American Jurisprudence Award. In addition, Pollak received the 2010 Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and in 2011, Pollak was inducted into the Chicago Area Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame. In 2014, Pollak was named as Poling Chair at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business. In 2019, Pollak was honored as an Automotive News All-Star for Software Innovation. In 2022, he received the highest distinction from the National Independent Auto Dealers Association, the Ring of Honor award. In addition to his industry speaking engagements, including lectures at the National Automobile Dealers Association’s Dealer Academy, Pollak also serves as a transportation advisor to the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.