Transportation Transitions: J.B. Hunt, Kodiak Robotics, and Driven Brands announce executive leadership changes

Kodiak Robotics names new chief financial officer

Surajit Datta Kodiak — Surajit Datta became Kodiak's chief financial officer as the company prepares to go public.

Autonomous vehicle company Kodiak Robotics announced that Surajit Datta has joined the company as chief financial officer (CFO), effective immediately.

Datta will be part of Kodiak’s executive leadership team and oversee all aspects of Kodiak’s financial operations, including financial planning and analysis, accounting, tax and treasury, investor relations, and internal audit. Datta succeeds Eric Chow, who has been with Kodiak since January 2019, has served as CFO since 2022, and plans to remain at Kodiak through the end of 2025 to support the transition.

“I am excited to join Kodiak because I believe the company’s leadership, technology, and track record set it apart in the autonomous vehicle industry,” Datta said. “It’s a compelling time for Kodiak as the company embarks on the next phase of growth. Kodiak has demonstrated that it is well-positioned to deliver autonomous technology at scale, and I believe that we have a tremendous opportunity ahead.”

Datta has more than 20 years of experience in financial operations and leadership at publicly traded artificial intelligence, semiconductor, and software companies, as well as investment banks.

He joins Kodiak as the company prepares to become a publicly listed company via a business combination with Ares Acquisition Corporation II. Kodiak expects to become publicly listed on NASDAQ in the second half of 2025.

J.B. Hunt promotes Brad Delco to CFO

J.B. Hunt Brad Delco — J.B. Hunt's Brad Delco is now the company's chief financial officer and executive vice president of finance.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services, No. 4 on the FleetOwner 500 list of for-hire carriers, promoted Brad Delco, SVP of finance, to CFO and executive VP of finance.

“Brad's deep background in finance and capital markets, coupled with his transportation industry knowledge, continues to fuel our financial strategy as we look toward disciplined future growth and greater returns on our strategic investments,” said Shelley Simpson, president and CEO.

Delco will take the executive role effective September 1, after previously serving as SVP of finance and VP of finance.

Delco joined the company in 2019. During his tenure at J.B. Hunt, Delco has been responsible for the oversight and management of all investor relations activities for the company. He also led the company’s corporate development, financial planning, and analysis efforts and was active in the company’s environmental, social, and governance strategies. In addition, Delco oversaw ELEVATION, J.B. Hunt’s program to find, foster, and follow employee-submitted ideas.

Current CFO John Kuhlow will move to the role of chief accounting officer, utilizing his experience in regulatory compliance and accounting to focus on the company’s financial management.

“John has been integral to the success of our finance and accounting organization over many years,” Simpson said. “His strong background in accounting, combined with his ethical and collaborative approach, will continue to support future growth and the financial integrity of our company.”

Driven Brands appoints chief operating officer

Mo Khalid Driven Brands — Mo Khalid stepped up to the role of executive vice president and chief operating officer for Driven Brands.

Automotive services company Driven Brands appointed Mo Khalid as executive VP and chief operating officer (COO) of Driven Brands. Khalid previously served as EVP and president of Take 5. Tim Austin, chief operating officer of Take 5, will succeed Khalid as president of the oil change franchise.

“Mo is an exceptional leader with a proven track record of success,” said Danny Rivera, president and CEO of Driven Brands. “As president of Take 5, he helped grow the business to more than 1,200 locations as of June 28, 2025, and system-wide sales exceeding $1.5 billion on a trailing twelve-month basis. He strengthened operations, built a highly capable team, and delivered results through analytical rigor and a disciplined focus on execution. In his new role, Mo will help drive that same operational rigor across all of Driven Brands.”

Khalid re-joined Driven Brands in 2023 as group president of the maintenance segment, which at the time included Take 5 Oil Change and Meineke. He previously served as COO of Meineke from 2016 to 2017.

“I am honored to be appointed chief operating officer of Driven Brands,” Khalid said. “I look forward to working with our employees and franchisees to enhance data-driven decisions, operate methodically, and expand margins across all of our brands, while continuing to support Tim and the Take 5 team in delivering exceptional growth and execution.”