AutoNation Inc., the largest U.S. auto dealership group, said CEO Cheryl Miller has been granted a leave of absence for health reasons.
Executive Chairman Mike Jackson will serve as chief executive until Miller returns, the company said in a U.S. regulatory filing Monday.
The moves are effective immediately.
Miller, 47, became CEO in July after the departure of Carl Liebert, an industry outsider who held the job for four months after succeeding longtime CEO Jackson.
The Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based company did not disclose any further details about Miller’s health or indicate when she was expected to return.
Miller had been Jackson’s finance chief for five years. He said she had been runner-up for the CEO post when Liebler was hired.
Earlier this month, AutoNation said its sales of new and used vehicles fell by half in the last two weeks of March amid state lockdowns to combat the coronavirus. The company placed about 7,000 employees on unpaid leave.
The company also implemented measures to cut costs, including temporary pay cuts for staff, curtailment of advertising expenses and postponing over $50 million in capital expenditure through the second quarter of 2020.
As part of the move, the salaries of Jackson and Miller were slashed 50 percent.
Automotive News staff contributed to this report.
