JM Search Places CEO at Whistle Express
February 5, 2026 – JM Search, a senior-level talent provider serving private equity investors, portfolio companies, and Fortune 1000s, has assisted in the recruitment of Luke Byerly as the new CEO of Whistle Express in Charlotte, NC. Jim Ipema and Andrew Pressman led the assignment. As part of this transition, José Costa has stepped down as CEO and will continue to serve on the Whistle Express board of directors. “I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built together,” Mr. Costa said. “Whistle’s momentum is strong, and Luke is the right leader to take the company forward.”
“Whistle is entering an exciting period of growth, and Luke brings the vision and track-record to accelerate our progress and position the company for long-term success,” the board shared in a statement. “His experience in scaling national brands, elevating customer experience and driving operational excellence align perfectly with Whistle’s next stage of growth. Byerly’s appointment marks the beginning of an exciting new era for Whistle Express as the company continues to invest in its people, elevate the customer experience, and scale its national footprint.”
Mr. Byerly brings more than 20 years of leadership experience across automotive, retail and franchise-driven businesses, with a proven track record of elevating customer experience, strengthening operational performance and driving sustainable growth. Most recently, he served as president and CEO of Jiffy Lube International, Inc., where he led enterprise-wide transformation initiatives that improved customer retention, strengthened operational consistency across the network and advanced the brand’s competitive position. His background spans operations, strategy, sales and marketing—experience that uniquely positions him to lead Whistle Express into its next phase of growth and reinvention.
“Whistle has the momentum, talent and infrastructure to redefine what an express car wash experience looks, and feels, like,” said Mr. Byerly. “This team is ambitious, service-driven and deeply committed to delivering an experience customers can feel every day. I’m excited to work alongside our teams as we integrate, innovate and continue raising the bar for the express car wash experience.”
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Whistle Express is one of the largest and fastest-growing express car wash companies in the United States, operating approximately 470 locations across more than 20 states. It is a portfolio company of Oaktree Capital Management, a major private equity and alternative investment firm.
Serving Clients Since 1980
JM Search is an advisor to CEOs, investors, and boards of directors in recruiting, assessing, and delivering high performance leaders and transformational leadership teams. Its clients include private equity firms and portfolio companies, venture capital-backed businesses, and publicly held companies across North America. Founded in 1980, the JM Search recruiting team brings together former operating and financial executives, investors and experienced search professionals with deep industry specialization, functional expertise, and proven access to talent spanning multiple industry sectors.
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Mr. Ipema is a partner at JM Search and a member of the firm’s consumer practice. He works closely with publicly traded and private equity-backed companies to recruit executives with an exemplary track record within consumer retail, direct-to-consumer and consumer services sectors. Since joining JM Search, Mr. Ipema has been directly responsible for developing and spearheading the firm’s commitment to excellence in the consumer retail and multi-unit consumer services industries. With more than 15 years of executive search experience, he has placed C-suite, finance, merchandising, sales/marketing, store operations and supply chain leadership roles.
Mr. Pressman is a managing partner at JM Search and has been recruiting top talent for over 25 years. Focused on partnering with private equity investors since 2000, he has experience with recruiting portfolio company leadership, regardless the size of the private equity firm, its investment strategy, or the industry and location of the portfolio company. While he has recruited leaders across nearly every function, Mr. Pressman specializes in searches for portfolio company CEOs and CFOs. He leads a team at JM Search that is dedicated to recruiting executives for private equity firms and their portfolio companies. His clients range from middle market investors to large global investment firms.
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Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
