Lithia Motors (LAD) restructures technology leadership as George Hines transitions
Filing Impact
Filing Sentiment
Form Type
8-K
Rhea-AI Filing Summary
Lithia Motors, Inc. announced an organizational change in its technology leadership. The company is shifting its information technology and technology teams to align more closely with the businesses, customers, and products they support. As part of this shift, George Hines will transition from his role as Senior Vice President, Chief Innovation and Technology Officer, effective March 1, 2026. Core technology functions will instead report to Tina Miller, Chief Financial Officer, and Dianna du Preez, Chief Customer Officer. Hines will remain with the company in a non-executive role and continue serving on the Pinewood.AI public board.
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8-K Event Classification
2 items: 5.02, 9.01
2 items
Item 5.02
Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers
Governance
Key personnel changes including departures, elections, or appointments of directors and executive officers.
Item 9.01
Financial Statements and Exhibits
Exhibits
Financial statements, pro forma financial information, and exhibit attachments filed with this report.
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Date of Report (date of earliest event reported)
Lithia Motors, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) | (Commission File Number) | (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) | |||||||||
| (Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip Code) | ||||||||||
(541 ) 776-6401
Registrant's telephone number, including area code
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
| Title of each class | Trading Symbol(s) | Name of each exchange on which registered | ||||||||||||
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging growth company ☐
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers
Lithia Motors, Inc. (the "Company") is implementing a focused shift to align its information technology and technology teams more closely with the businesses, customers, and products they support. As part of this alignment, George Hines will transition from his role as the Company’s Senior Vice President, Chief Innovation and Technology Officer, effective as of March 1, 2026 (the “Transition Date”). Going forward, the core technology functions will now report under Tina Miller, Chief Financial Officer, and Dianna du Preez, Chief Customer Officer.
To support an orderly transition, Mr. Hines will remain with the Company in a non-executive role. Mr. Hines will continue his work on the Pinewood.AI public board of directors, fulfilling his passion to create technology that can improve our industry and our customer experiences. The Company thanks Mr. Hines for his leadership and contributions during his tenure.
Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits
(d) Exhibits
| Exhibit No. | Description | ||||
| 104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document). | ||||
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| Date: February 13, 2026 | LITHIA MOTORS, INC. | |||||||
| Registrant | ||||||||
| By: | /s/ Tina Miller | |||||||
| Tina Miller | ||||||||
| Chief Financial Officer, Senior Vice President, and Principal Accounting Officer | ||||||||
FAQ
What leadership change did Lithia Motors (LAD) disclose in this 8-K?
Lithia Motors disclosed that George Hines will transition from his role as Senior Vice President, Chief Innovation and Technology Officer, effective March 1, 2026. He will remain with the company in a non-executive role while technology functions shift under other senior leaders.
When does George Hines step down as Chief Innovation and Technology Officer at Lithia Motors (LAD)?
George Hines will step down as Senior Vice President, Chief Innovation and Technology Officer effective March 1, 2026. After that date, he will stay with Lithia Motors in a non-executive capacity to support an orderly transition of responsibilities.
Who will oversee core technology functions at Lithia Motors (LAD) after the transition?
After the transition, core technology functions at Lithia Motors will report to Tina Miller, Chief Financial Officer, and Dianna du Preez, Chief Customer Officer. This reflects a focused shift to align technology more closely with business operations, customers, and products.
Will George Hines remain involved with Lithia Motors (LAD) after leaving his executive role?
Yes. George Hines will remain with Lithia Motors in a non-executive role to support an orderly transition. He will also continue his work on the Pinewood.AI public board, focusing on technology that can improve the automotive retail experience.
Why is Lithia Motors (LAD) changing its technology leadership structure?
Lithia Motors is changing its technology leadership structure to align information technology and technology teams more closely with the businesses, customers, and products they support. This includes shifting reporting lines for core technology functions to senior leaders overseeing finance and customer experience.