McKemie joined Sonic Automotive in 2008. She has held several senior management roles including Divisional Vice President which included the operational and financial oversight of Sonic’s 104 dealerships. She is currently the Senior Regional Vice President for Sonic’s Texas region which is comprised of 20 dealerships and Sonic’s most profitable region. McKemie initially joined Sonic as General Manager of Momentum BMW/MINI and built a strong customer service culture and management team – many who have been promoted to General Managers in the Sonic organization.
Prior to joining Sonic Automotive, McKemie was a dealer partner in a new Mercedes Benz dealership in Charlotte, North Carolina. Within nine months of opening, the dealership was ranked in the top 10 CSI dealerships for the brand. Prior to this, McKemie served as President and Chief Operating Officer of a large independent automotive retail group comprised of 15 dealerships in the greater Minneapolis area. Her automotive experience also includes over 10 years with AutoNation in various leadership roles to include General Manager, Market Vice President and Senior Vice President of IT and Strategic Initiatives.
Prior to entering the automotive retail industry, McKemie held several management positions with Andersen Consulting, Tenneco, Enron and Houston Natural Gas specializing in Information Technology, Process Re-engineering and Change Management.
In 2015 McKemie was named one of the top 100 Women in the Automotive Industry by Automotive News.
McKemie is a graduate of Albion College located in Albion, Michigan. She was born and raised outside Detroit, Michigan. Her hobbies include hiking, mountain biking, needlepoint and travel. She has been married to her husband Andy for 35 years and is the proud parent of two adopted cats – Tiger and Lily.
Karen McKemie
Senior Regional Vice President of Operations
Sonic Automotive
281-249-4703
