Speakers

Graeme Potts

Eden Motor Group

Graeme started his automotive career at Reg Vardy, rising to Chief Executive Officer, followed by Group Managing Director of RAC Motoring Services, and Inchcape as Managing Director UK, Europe, and Latin America.

In 2008, Graeme formed Eden Motor Group - today, Eden has 21 dealerships, representing Vauxhall, Hyundai, Mazda, Peugeot, and MG

Mark Busby

Director, Commercial Operations, Hendy Group

Mark joined Hendy by acquisition. His old firm, Doves Ford in Fareham, was bought by the flourishing Hendy Group in February 2000. As with so many employees of firms acquired by Hendy, Mark stayed and prospered. He became Director of Commercial Operations in June 2016.

Mark has worked in the car business since leaving school. ‘I started on an apprenticeship with my local Ford dealer in Basingstoke. I didn’t really know what I wanted to do but I liked cars.’

He started in parts before moving to a broader after-sales role. He joined Doves Ford in 1995. Promotions quickly followed, including Fleet Manager and Retail Sales Manager.

After the Hendy takeover, Mark became New Car Sales Manager for the new Hendy Ford (formerly Doves Ford) in Fareham. ‘Paul Hendy was my Sales Director, my boss. When you go through a big change you can be cautious or optimistic. I’d met Paul before. I liked the way he operated. So, I was very positive about the future.

‘Paul creates a strong belief in achieving what you may think is unachievable. He’s very good at creating a vision and getting buy-in. So many people here would go the extra mile for Paul, because you know he’d do the same for you.’

In 2006, Mark briefly quit to pursue a new life in Australia. ‘My family went to Perth, but we lasted less than a year. Paul helped support my visa application. When I decided it was time to come back, Paul was the first person I rang.

Once back in the UK, he stepped into a new Group Sales Development Manager role. It was the beginning of Hendy’s in-house sales training. It was also the beginning of what would become the Hendy Academy, which now provides training for a wide range of roles. Later, Mark would also help set up the Hendy Foundation with Rebecca Hendy to support local charities. He remains a trustee.

After numerous promotions, Mark became Hendy’s Marketing Director in 2011, New Car Sales and Marketing Director in 2012, and then Director of Commercial Operations in 2016.

‘The expansion has been phenomenal. Scale is crucial to success. We need to be big to succeed in today’s market. The challenge is to be big but not faceless, to be big but also stay local. It’s a people business. People buy from people.’

Owen Edwards

Grant Thornton

Owen is a member of the Grant Thornton Automotive Advisory practice, with responsibility for Automotive Retail Business Consulting.

He worked for seven years at Inchcape Plc, the world’s largest independent motor retailer and distributor. For four years, he was the Director of Business Development, undertaking acquisitions and focusing on the strategic positioning of the business across the globe. Prior to this, as Group Strategy Manager, his projects included introducing new brands into emerging markets, restructuring a number of the groups overseas underperforming operations, and compiling the group’s five-year strategy plan.

Prior to joining Grant Thornton he recently advised Marshall Motor Holdings Plc on their floatation on the London Stock Exchange.

Owen has a large range of experience in:

• Automotive distribution and retail
• Global composite, dashboard and KPI analysis
• Company and financial analysis
• Strategic five-year planning

Dale Wyatt

Suzuki

Coming Soon

Neil Addley

Founder, Managing Director, JudgeService

Neil Addley, Founder and Managing Director at JudgeService, brings over 30 years of experience in and around the automotive industry. Renowned for driving customer satisfaction, his expertise has positioned JudgeService as a well renowned player in customer feedback and reviews. As a dynamic speaker, Neil focuses on practical insights for dealerships and manufacturers. Expect a no-nonsense approach in his keynote, addressing customer and dealer views on the acceleration of electrification, agency, and the expansion of new entrant brands in the UK.

Catherine Faiers

Chief Operating Officer, Auto Trader

Catherine joined Auto Trader in August 2017 and was appointed as Chief Operating Officer (‘COO’) in May 2019. Catherine is responsible for the day-to-day operations of Auto Trader’s business. She is also focused on guiding the Group’s strategy and development. Prior to this, Catherine was Chief Operating Officer at Addison Lee, Corporate Development Director at Trainline and a Director at Close Brothers Corporate Finance. Catherine graduated from the University of Durham with a BA in Economics and is a qualified Chartered Accountant, training at PwC.