Cars.com Inc. said on September 30, 2026 that Trent Ziegler has been appointed its next chief financial officer, joining as CFO-Designate on October 19 and formally taking the role on November 6, 2026. He succeeds Sonia Jain, who will stay on as an Executive Advisor through March 31, 2027.
What changed
The Chicago-based automotive marketplace, listed on the NYSE under the ticker CARS, announced the transition in a press release filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.
According to the company, Ziegler's appointment as CFO-Designate is effective October 19, 2026, and he formally assumes the CFO role on November 6, 2026. Cars.com said Jain will serve as an Executive Advisor through March 31, 2027 "In order to ensure an orderly transition".
Who Ziegler is
Cars.com said Ziegler joins from FairSquare, a fintech holding company, where he served as CFO.
Before that, the company said, he spent more than a decade at LendingTree, an online lending marketplace, including three years as CFO and seven years leading Investor Relations and Treasury. Cars.com said that during that time he helped LendingTree deliver improvements in profitability, optimized cost structure and executed financing initiatives and growth-oriented acquisitions. He began his career at Ally Financial Inc., according to the release.
What the company says
"We are excited to welcome Trent as Cars.com's next CFO," said Tobi Hartmann, Chief Executive Officer of Cars.com, adding that Ziegler "brings deep marketplace experience and a strong combination of strategic perspective, financial discipline and operational execution."
Ziegler said in the release: "Cars.com has strong fundamentals and real opportunity ahead." He added that he looks forward to working with the team "to further scale the business, drive disciplined capital allocation, and deliver shareholder value."
Hartmann credited Jain with helping guide what the company called its post-spin off evolution by advancing financial infrastructure and systems, implementing value-based pricing and strengthening the balance sheet.
Cars.com describes itself as a leading marketplace for automotive sales that has operated for over 25 years, pairing its marketplace with what it calls interconnected technology, data and media for dealers and OEMs.
Key facts and where they come from
- Trent Ziegler becomes CFO-Designate on October 19, 2026.
Trent Ziegler has been appointed the company’s next Chief Financial Officer-Designate, effective October 19, 2026.
- He formally takes over as CFO on November 6, 2026, succeeding Sonia Jain.
He will formally assume the role of CFO, succeeding Sonia Jain, on November 6, 2026.
- Jain remains as an Executive Advisor until March 31, 2027.
Jain will serve as an Executive Advisor to the company through March 31, 2027.
- Ziegler joins from fintech holding company FairSquare, where he was CFO.
Ziegler joins Cars.com from FairSquare, a fintech holding company, where he served as CFO.
- He previously spent more than a decade at LendingTree, including three years as CFO.
he spent more than a decade at LendingTree, an online lending marketplace, including three years as CFO and seven years leading Investor Relations and Treasury
- Cars.com trades on the NYSE under the ticker CARS.
Cars.com Inc. (NYSE: CARS), a leading marketplace for automotive sales