About
Automotive marketing executive, digital advertising strategist, founder and runner.
Biography
Kirk Van Sickle is an automotive marketing executive and digital advertising strategist based in Oceanside, California. Over more than two decades he has worked across online directories, search, social, performance marketing and connected TV. He is Director of Automotive Partnerships at Premion, TEGNA's connected TV advertising platform, where he leads advertising partnerships with agencies, automakers and dealer groups across the United States.
His career began selling advertising in the phone book. He moved quickly to the digital side and, starting in 2002, helped grow SmartPages.com into YP.com. It was among the first places people went online to find a local business by category and location, the model Yelp and other directories later built on. When AT&T sold a majority of the business to Cerberus Capital Management in 2012, the deal valued it at more than $1 billion.
He went on to lead digital and print advertising sales for AT&T across multi-state markets. AT&T then relocated him and his family from Metro Detroit to run its Southern California market, where as General Manager he led a sales organization of more than 200 people. Across those years his teams sold advertising to local businesses of every kind, from car dealers to restaurants, attorneys, roofers, plumbers and other home services. He then led sales and account strategy in Southern California for Thryv, which makes CRM software for small businesses. From 2019 to 2025 he led the West Region of Search Optics, an automotive digital marketing company, to the strongest results in its history.
He is also an entrepreneur. Among other ventures, he founded a successful digital advertising agency that is still operating today, and through it helped grow a healthcare services company. He also co-founded a valet company, grew it to 40 employees, and sold it.
He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Wayne State University, with a major in marketing and advertising and a minor in finance.
Quick answers
Who is Kirk Van Sickle?
Kirk Van Sickle is an automotive marketing executive, digital advertising strategist and entrepreneur based in Oceanside, California. He has worked in digital advertising since 2002 and is Director of Automotive Partnerships at Premion. He has also founded several companies, among them a successful digital advertising agency and a valet company he grew to 40 employees and sold.
Where does Kirk Van Sickle work?
Kirk Van Sickle works at Premion, the connected TV advertising platform owned by TEGNA, where he is Director of Automotive Partnerships. He joined in 2026.
What does Kirk Van Sickle specialize in?
Kirk Van Sickle specializes in automotive marketing and digital advertising strategy across search, social, performance marketing and connected TV. He has worked with automotive advertisers for more than a decade, and he builds and coaches sales teams.
What companies has Kirk Van Sickle founded?
Among other ventures, Kirk Van Sickle founded a successful digital advertising agency that is still operating today, and co-founded a valet company that he grew to 40 employees and sold.
What is Kirk Van Sickle's professional background?
Before Premion, Kirk Van Sickle was Vice President, Automotive Media and Performance Marketing at Search Optics from 2019 to 2025, and Director of Sales and Account Strategy at Thryv from 2016 to 2019. Before that he was General Manager, Digital and Print Advertising at AT&T. His career in digital advertising began in 2002 at SmartPages.com, which became YP.com.
Where did Kirk Van Sickle go to school?
Kirk Van Sickle earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Wayne State University in Detroit, with a major in marketing and advertising and a minor in finance.
Away from work
Kirk Van Sickle is the father of two grown daughters. He is a runner and likes to travel, and he logs his training on Strava.
Get in touch
Call, text or send a message.