Founder and CEO of LendingTree dies in ATV accident

LendingTree founder and CEO Doug Lebda has died following an all-terrain vehicle accident on his family’s farm in North Carolina. He was 55.

The company named its chief operating officer, Scott Peyree, as the new CEO.

Lebda founded LendingTree in 1996 and took it public in 2000. IAC acquired the company in 2003 and later spun it off in 2008, when Lebda returned as CEO.

In a statement, LendingTree’s board described him as a visionary leader whose drive and innovation transformed the financial services landscape.