Doug Lebda, LendingTree C.E.O. and Founder, Dies in ATV Accident

Business|Doug Lebda, LendingTree Founder and C.E.O., Dies in A.T.V. Accident

Doug Lebda, the chief executive and chairman of LendingTree, an online loans marketplace, died on Sunday following an all-terrain vehicle accident on his family’s North Carolina farm, according to a company spokeswoman. He was 55.

LendingTree, which Mr. Lebda founded nearly 30 years ago, named its chief operating officer, Scott Peyree, as its new chief executive.

“Doug was a visionary leader whose relentless drive, innovation and passion transformed the financial services landscape, touching the lives of millions of consumers,” the company’s board said in a statement.

Mr. Lebda started LendingTree in 1996 after a bad experience trying to obtain a mortgage for a home in Pittsburgh. He based the company in Charlotte, N.C., and quickly made the city his home, recalled Pat McCrory, formerly the mayor of Charlotte and governor of North Carolina.

“He loved to talk politics and I loved to talk politics and we became a good match,” said Mr. McCrory, who sat on LendingTree’s board before he was North Carolina’s governor. He recalled Mr. Lebda resisting the pull of relocating the company to other cities and praised him for his contributions to entrepreneurship in the state.

LendingTree went public during the dot-com boom and was later acquired by IAC in 2003, taking Mr. Lebda to New York. Five years later, IAC spun off the company, allowing Mr. Lebda to take the helm again.

A football fan, Mr. Lebda was also a minority owner of his beloved Pittsburgh Steelers.

Mr. Peyree called the news of Mr. Lebda’s death “devastating.”

“I look forward to leading our team and continuing our shared vision with Doug into the future,” he said in a statement.

Mr. Lebda is survived by his wife, Megan, and his three daughters, Rachel, Abby and Sophia.

“Our hearts are broken, but we are also deeply grateful for the love and support that has poured in from across the world,” Ms. Lebda said in a statement. “Doug’s legacy will continue in the company he built, the lives he touched, and the example he set for all of us to lead with kindness, courage, and compassion.”