Kathi Kruse is an Automotive Social Media Expert, Blogger, Author, Speaker and Founder of Kruse Control Inc.

Born in the heart of Los Angeles to a family of “car people”, Kathi’s interest in cars blossomed on the freeways of Southern California.   Her passion for cars and a superior aptitude for business catapulted Kathi into a career that combines her two loves.

Kathi started at the ground floor of a dealership in 1979 and methodically worked her way up through all levels of dealership operations.  Kruse Control has won numerous awards for achievement working with dealerships to increase annual sales to over $100 million while winning #1 in sales, service, parts, and customer satisfaction.

In 2009, Kathi witnessed the comprehensive shift happening in dealership marketing.  Social Media was changing how people bought cars.  Kruse Control offers training & workshops focused on integrating Social Media into dealership operations.  Kathi is the co-author of the book “Next Up – Essential Social Media Strategies for Auto Dealerships”.  Her Kruse Control Blog is published by many automotive industry media sources and Kathi speaks frequently about Automotive Social Media.

Since 2001, Kruse Control has bridged the balance between 30 years of ‘best practices’ dealership management experience and creative new ideas to generate results for dealerships and manufacturers across Southern California and US.