CARMEL, Ind. – KAR Auction Services Inc.  announces the appointment of Chris Simokat as vice president of data science and analytics. In this new role, Simokat will lead all DRIVIN-powered data science functions and oversee data analytics that are fueling KAR’s suite of data as a service (DaaS) platform capabilities delivering actionable intelligence to customers.

His extensive experience in big data, machine learning, predictive modeling and data analysis will be a valuable asset at DRIVIN as we continue leading the vehicle remarketing industry in delivering analytical and market intelligence solutions to our customers.

“Chris’s technical skills profile covers a broad range of data science topics, from deep learning and anomaly detection to natural language processing and data visualization,” said Joe Oliveri, vice president of DaaS for KAR Global. “His extensive experience in big data, machine learning, predictive modeling and data analysis will be a valuable asset at DRIVIN as we continue leading the vehicle remarketing industry in delivering analytical and market intelligence solutions to our customers.”

Simokat has more than two decades of digital, analytic, and data science experience. He has a robust technical background and a diverse knowledge base ranging from cybersecurity, fraud and capacity forecasting to digital marketing and international team management.

Simokat spent the last seven years at Citi, most recently serving as senior vice president and chief data scientist in its data innovation office since 2016. At Citi, he managed award-winning data science teams for work with regulatory compliance as well as cost savings and revenue generating initiatives. He provided data science jumpstart services enterprise-wide and led projects in developing machine learning and advanced analytics solutions.

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