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CarWire
CarWire
Lien Releases Made Easy

About Us

CarWire is the vision of Bruce Thompson, Founder & CEO—a serial entrepreneur known for transforming automotive tech over the past 30+ years. Bruce built and exited many successful startups such as AAX (American Auto Exchange), RedBumper, NewCarIQ, Pearl Technology Holdings, and most recently, CarOffer.

Recognizing how fragmented lien payoff processes were tying up capital and slowing down dealer operations, Bruce leveraged his deep expertise with automotive technology and dealer operations to create CarWire - The industry's first fintech platform solely focused on lien releases— streamlining the process through automation and real-time tracking to save dealerships time, money, and operational friction.

Our Mission: To become the most trusted and dynamic fintech platform, transforming dealer-lender interactions through groundbreaking technology.

Years of Innovation

2001

American Auto Exchange (AAX) founded — sold to JM Family in 2005

2010

RedBumper launched — acquired by CDK Global in 2016

2013

NewCarIQ debuted — also acquired by CDK in 2016

2014

Pearl Technology Holdings incubates multiple platforms including VehicleXchange, Trade-In Concierge, and ShowroomXpress

2019  

CarOffer launched – a modern wholesale platform enabling instant dealer-to-dealer transactions

2023  

CarOffer acquired by CarGurus

2025

CarWire launches, focusing on lien release automation

Meet the Team: Driving Innovation Together

Our Leadership

At CarWire, our leadership team brings together decades of experience across automotive technology, fintech, and dealership operations. 


From founding and scaling some of the industry’s most recognized platforms to running billion-dollar tech organizations, our team understands the real-world challenges dealerships face — and how to solve them. With deep operational insight and a track record of innovation, we’re building a solution designed to transform the way lien releases are handled in automotive retail.

Bruce Thompson

Founder & CEO

A serial entrepreneur with a history of launching successful automotive tech ventures, Bruce leads CarWire with a vision to redefine lien management

Scott Johnston

Chief Operating Officer

Scott brings a wealth of operational and auto industry  expertise to CarWire. With a proven track record of  driving operational efficiencies, he leads internal operations and dealer engagement strategies to drive adoption and scale.

Ziad Chartouni

Chief Information Officer

Overseeing the development of our robust workflow management system, Ziad ensures our platform meets the highest standards of efficiency and security.

Joe Bihner

Strategic Advisor

Joe is a seasoned automotive and fintech executive with decades of leadership experience. At CarWire, he provides strategic guidance on scaling and operational excellence.

Nicole Kane

Sr. Director of Product and Operations

With deep expertise in automotive fintech and operational excellence, Nicole leads process design and the operations team to ensure seamless dealer-lender interactions. She plays a critical role in shaping the CarWire experience from the ground up.