Drive Motor Retail, Vertu Motors and Swansway Group are amongst automotive retailers throughout the UK which have began 2023 with new additions to their administration groups.
Right here AM rounds-up a few of the automotive retail sector’s movers within the new yr up to now.
Drive Motor Retail
Drive Motor Retail is concentrating on a class-leading end-to-end finance journey following the promotion of Chris Blake to the publish of group finance and gross sales compliance supervisor.
The AM100 retail group’s former coaching supervisor was beforehand an worker of the GMAC consultancy and can now concentrate on supporting clients all through the gross sales journey, with a product vary designed to enrich their buy, it stated.
Blake stated: “Drive is a incredible place to work with an enthusiastic staff wanting to develop the merchandise and choices we provide our clients, while delivering an impressive buyer expertise.
“I’m trying ahead to working throughout our UK websites to implement new methods and merchandise which is able to take our gross sales course of to a brand new stage.”
Rob Keenan, joint managing director at Drive Motor Retail, stated: “As buyer demand for financing vehicles continues to extend, Chris will likely be working with every of our websites to guage our present providing and enhance our assist to widen the funding choices accessible at a time when many want it.”
Swansway Group
Swansway Group has began 2023 with James Keir’s promotion to model supervisor at Crewe Volkswagen and the appointment of Mike Day as aftersales supervisor at Stafford Land Rover.
Kier has reached new heights with the Crewe-based AM100 automotive retail group 10 years after first becoming a member of the enterprise as a workshop controller at its Wrexham VW dealership.
He has been aftersales supervisor at Crewe Volkswagen for the previous 5 years.
Commenting on his promotion, Kier stated: “I’m trying ahead to attending to grips with the gross sales facet of issues. With a background in aftersales, it’s a brand new problem to now be overseeing the entire enterprise. I’ve a fantastic relationship with the gross sales staff and I’m keen to construct on that from a brand new perspective.”
Former Rybrook and Hatfields aftersales specialist Day is following in his father’s footsteps together with his appointment as aftersales supervisor at Swansway’s Stafford Land Rover dealership.
Day started his profession as an apprentice technician to comply with the trail of his father – and a former Land Rover service supervisor – and in addition hung out working with Ford and Vauxhall in addition to being a FA- certified referee.
On working with Swansway and Land Rover in his new position, Day stated: “I really feel like I’ve been right here for much longer than I’ve, I’ve settled in properly and the staff have been so welcoming and receptive to my concepts, we’ve already been capable of implement modifications.
“I’m trying ahead to levelling up our customer support, guaranteeing that the shoppers have the very best expertise potential.”
Vertu Motors
Former Marshall Motor Group and Inchcape supervisor Geoff Wicks has been appointed as basic supervisor at Vertu Kia Nottingham.
Wicks joins the Vertu Motors Kia operation on Mansfield Highway, Arnold, which made the transfer to the AM100 PLC’s former Volkswagen showroom in 2021.
In addition to a Kia dealership, the positioning continues to be an authorised used automotive and aftersales franchise for the VW model.
Wicks stated “Vertu Motors is without doubt one of the main automotive retailers within the UK with a incredible popularity. The Group’s values intently align with mine and I’m trying ahead to getting began.
“It is a comparatively new dealership, representing the thrilling and progressive Kia model; I’m dedicated to constructing a robust and motivated staff to serve our clients.”
Chris Taylor, group operations director, stated: “We’re re-developing a first-class Kia retail facility at Nottingham.
“With the appointment of Geoff Wicks as basic supervisor, it offers everybody the arrogance we will maximise the total potential of the Kia model, while delivering excessive ranges of customer support.”
WMS Opteven
Guarantee and aftersales provider WMS Opteven has appointed Andrew Waite as retail gross sales and buyer companies director.
The enterprise stated it was approaching “an thrilling yr of enlargement” and would utilise the wealth of expertise provided by Waite’s three many years within the automotive trade to drive its development.
Waite has labored for quite a lot of OEMs all through his profession, together with Hyundai, Ford and the Volkswagen Group, spending 18 years working in fleet, gross sales operations and product advertising and marketing with the latter.
“I’m extraordinarily proud to be becoming a member of WMS at this superb time of change in our trade, and because the enterprise seeks to broaden its product suite below the Opteven model,” stated Waite.
“The assist and expertise of Opteven Group means we’re ideally positioned to assist independents, franchise seller teams and OEMs to maximise on the alternatives accessible within the altering market and legislative panorama.”
Craig Grant, managing director at Opteven UK, stated: “Andrew’s breadth of expertise working for a few of the world’s greatest automotive producers stands us in nice stead to enter this market and we will’t wait to see the place this takes us this yr.”