Cars.com Names Mausam Bhatt Chief Product Officer to Push AI Marketplace
Cars.com Inc. (NYSE: CARS) has appointed Mausam Bhatt as Chief Product Officer, effective Nov. 2. He will oversee product strategy and development across the company's portfolio, with a focus on connecting its marketplace, data, AI capabilities and dealer solutions.
- Cars.com appointed Mausam Bhatt as Chief Product Officer, effective Nov. 2.
- Bhatt previously served as Chief Product Officer at Rithum and Chief Product and Technology Officer at Realtor.com.
- He will oversee product strategy and development across Cars.com's portfolio.
- The focus is connecting the marketplace, automotive data, AI capabilities and dealer solutions.
- The announcement gives no specific product launches or timelines.
A product leader from marketplaces and commerce
Cars.com, which describes itself as a leading marketplace for automotive sales, announced the hire on Oct. 29, 2026. According to the company, Bhatt brings extensive experience building and scaling complex marketplaces, digital commerce businesses and, most recently, B2B2C SaaS companies.
Bhatt joins from Rithum, a commerce technology company, where he was Chief Product Officer. Before that, he was Chief Product and Technology Officer at Realtor.com, where he led product, engineering, AI and data for one of the largest online property marketplaces.
His earlier roles include leading product for Google Shopping's growth and transactions platform and serving as Chief Product Officer at RetailMeNot. He was also part of the senior leadership team at Flipkart, where, according to Cars.com, he helped build the company's mobile commerce business from the ground up and scaled it to over 75 million users and $4 billion in revenue. He began his career as a software engineer at Hewlett Packard.
What Bhatt will be responsible for
In his new role, Bhatt will oversee product strategy and development across Cars.com's portfolio. The company says the aim is to accelerate efforts to connect its consumer marketplace, trusted automotive data, AI capabilities and dealer solutions. The stated goal is to create more seamless experiences and measurable customer outcomes.
The announcement frames the appointment around AI-powered and connected experiences that build consumer confidence and support growth. It does not give details on specific products, launch timelines or financial targets.
What the company and the new executive said
Tobi Hartmann, CEO of Cars.com, said the company is "evolving into a more intelligent, connected marketplace." He added that Bhatt "brings the product vision, deep marketplace expertise and execution mindset to help us accelerate that evolution and unlock the full potential of our platform." Hartmann also said Bhatt understands how to build products that create meaningful value on both sides of a marketplace, and that his leadership will be instrumental as Cars.com brings "our next generation of experiences to market."
Bhatt said Cars.com "has built an impressive foundation of trusted content, technology, data and dealer solutions." In his words, the opportunity lies in bringing these capabilities together to create more intuitive, connected experiences that build trust and deliver value for consumers and dealers.
What it means for shoppers and dealers
The appointment signals that Cars.com wants to tie its separate assets more closely together. The company points to its reviews, data, media and dealer tools, and says its scaled marketplace paired with interconnected technology gives dealers and OEMs what they need to sell more cars. For over 25 years, according to the company, it has combined the most reviews in the industry, straight answers and tools meant to help shoppers make confident car decisions.
For shoppers and dealers, the practical effect will depend on which products emerge from this work. The source names no specific features or dates, so the impact remains to be seen once Bhatt's team begins shipping new experiences.
