Black Book has hired Laird Popkin as its chief technology officer and senior vice president, the company has announced.
Popkin steps into a newly created role and reports to Tom Cross, Black Book's president. The appointment is effective March 23.
Black Book Hires CTO, SVP
Black Book has announced the hire of Laird Popkin as its chief technology officer and senior vice president.
by Staff
March 23, 20151 min to read
Popkin will be responsible for all product development and IT operations for the entire group, which includes National Auto Research, Veretech Holdings, Inc., and Canadian Black Book.
Popkin joins Black Book from Kaplan, Inc., where he was chief enterprise architect. He has more than 25 years of executive and technology management experience at leading companies and has held CTO positions at Pando Networks, Warner Music Group, 3Path, Sotheby's Holdings, and News Corp's Internet Services.
"Laird is the ideal choice to help drive Black Book's IT and product initiatives as we continue to leverage technology capabilities and innovations and create breakthrough products and services for the automotive industry," said Cross. "Laird's technical expertise, passion for technology, and operational excellence will help us in our commitment to continually enhance our market-leading products to meet the needs of our customers."
More Operations
Sponsored•May 13, 2026
Why Fleet Managers Are Replacing Departmental Vehicles with Shared Motor Pools
Departmentally assigned vehicles often create hidden costs through underutilization, poor visibility, and increased administrative burden. This white paper explores how shared motor pool strategies help fleets reduce costs, improve accountability, and optimize vehicle utilization.
Read More →
Soap Box Derby Challenge: Assembling the Crew
Meet Gabriel, Matthew, and Angel — the team helping bring this soap box derby build to life.
Read More →
BBL Fleet Acquires Velcor Leasing Corporation
BBL Fleet expanded its footprint in the fleet management industry with the acquisition of Velcor Leasing Corporation of Madison through a stock purchase agreement finalized Feb. 27, 2026.
Read More →
Lytx Introduces New AI Fleet Technologies at Protect 2026
The company introduced new AI-driven fleet safety and operations technologies during its annual user conference.
Read More →
Sponsored•May 6, 2026
Fleet Costs Are Rising: Here’s How Leaders Are Responding
Fleet leaders are under pressure to reduce costs, adapt to economic uncertainty, and make smarter decisions. See how peers across North America are responding with real data, proven strategies, and forward-looking insights. Download the 2026 Market Pulse Report to benchmark your strategy and uncover where you can gain an edge.
Read More →
From Waffle House to AI: Fleet Trends You Need to Know
In this AF news recap, host Faith Howell covers how Waffle House stepped up during disaster response and new AI tech on the market.
Read More →
Fleet Operations in the Age of AI: Navigating Ethical and Legal Challenges
AI is no longer a future concept for fleets—it’s already embedded in the tools, data, and decisions that operators rely on every day. In this episode of the Fleet Forward Podcast, recorded live at Fleet Forward, industry leaders take the conversation beyond hype to examine what responsible AI adoption really looks like in fleet operations.
Read More →
Factory Installed vs. Aftermarket: Choosing the Right Telematics Path & Managing the Data
As fleets rethink how they capture, manage, and act on vehicle data, telematics is at a major inflection point. In this episode of the Fleet Forward Podcast, we dive deep into one of the most pressing questions facing fleet leaders today: Should you rely on OEM factory-installed connectivity, aftermarket devices, or a hybrid of both?
Read More →
What Real-Time Data Reveals About EV Cost, Performance, and Scalability
Experts from telematics analytics, fleet-as-a-service operations, and national EV benchmarking share how real-time data is reshaping fleet strategy—dispelling assumptions, validating best practices, and exposing costly missteps.
Read More →
Planning Through Policy Shifts: What Fleets Must Track in 2026
A powerhouse panel featuring experts from the American Automotive Leasing Association, CalSTART, and municipal fleet leadership dives into the realities of navigating shifting emissions rules, regulatory waivers, federal agency actions, the future of the EPA’s endangerment finding, and the push for unified standards. They also examine the impacts of tariffs, autonomous vehicle policy, battery innovation, and the accelerating global EV market.
Read More →