AutoNation CEO Mike Jackson, who will speak in January at the 2014 Automotive News World Congress in Detroit, has had a big year -- and a busy one.

He has led the nation's largest dealership group to seven straight quarterly profits and he rolled out a massive rebranding initiative for most of the company's 226 stores. Most AutoNation stores are now marketed under a unified AutoNation brand from coast to coast.

Jackson, who will speak on Tuesday afternoon, Jan. 14, has been CEO of AutoNation since 1999 and signed a new contract in July that runs through September 2016.

The 64-year-old executive started his auto career as a dealership mechanic and worked his way up to managing partner of Euro Motor Cars in Bethesda, Md. He then joined Mercedes-Benz USA, where he became CEO before being recruited for the top job at AutoNation.

Dinner keynote speakers at the congress are General Motors CEO Dan Akerson and Mark Fields, COO of Ford Motor Co.

IBM and PwC are the exclusive lead sponsors.