SANTA MONICA, Calif. — Edmunds.com officials said Monday that Bill Visnic, who has been a senior contributing editor for the AutoObserver publication the past two years, has become full-time senior editor for AutoObserver.com.

In his new role, he will report to Michelle Krebs, who is the senior analyst and editor-at-large for AutoObserver.com.

He has been a freelance contributor to AutoObserver.com since 2007 and now will take on an expanded role where he will offer expert analysis of business and technological developments.

"Bill is a rare talent. He is an automotive enthusiast with a deep knowledge of the vehicle mechanics and also has a keen eye for the bigger business picture of the auto industry," Krebs shared.

"Bill has shared his knowledge and insight as a senior contributing editor for AutoObserver for the past two years," she continued. "We look forward to even more as he joins Edmunds.com full-time."

Visnic's 16 years of auto journalism experience includes time as senior technical editor at Ward's Automotive Group and associate editor at Car & Driver.