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Cox Automotive Australia makes a strong statement by appointing two automotive industry heavyweights

Announcement posted by Manheim 03 Feb 2017

Cox Automotive Australia makes a strong statement by appointing two automotive industry heavyweights

 

Gary Martin appointed as Chief Executive Officer and Greg Duncan (OAM) appointed as Chairman of the Cox Automotive Australia Board of Management 

  • Senior automotive executives appointed to head up newly formed company

  • Gary and Greg are well known and respected Australian automotive industry leaders

  • Both bring a wealth of local and international experience to their roles

 Recently formed Cox Automotive Australia has announced the appointment of Gary Martin as their Chief Executive Officer and Greg Duncan (OAM) as the Chairman of the company’s Board of Management, effective on March the 1st.

The simultaneous appointments are a real coup for the company, securing two industry heavyweights to lead Cox Automotive Australia and make an immediate impact in the local market.

John Bailey, President of International, Cox Automotive said: “I am delighted to announce the appointment of both Gary Martin and Greg Duncan to these roles.”

“The appointment of Gary and Greg, who are both well respected leaders of the Australian automotive sector, underlines the importance Australia plays in Cox Automotive’s global strategy. To have such senior industry figures join and lead the management team at Cox Automotive Australia makes a strong statement to the local market and reinforces the commitment and investment we are making in Australia and New Zealand.

Globally experienced automotive industry leader, Gary Martin will lead Cox Automotive Australia as their very first Chief Executive Officer

A well known Australian automotive industry leader, Gary is currently based in the USA leading Xtime, a Cox Automotive company. Xtime provides after sales service solutions that deliver a superior ownership experience driving profitable growth, brand loyalty and service retention for the automotive retail industry. Xtime is the exclusive or preferred provider for 26 major global automotive manufacturers in the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia and services over 8,000 dealerships.

With more than 30 years of automotive industry experience, Gary is a highly experienced Australian automotive executive with global credentials, especially in the ever growing digital space. He was carefully selected from a highly credentialed list of international candidates from within the Cox group of companies and the wider market, all of whom have outstanding automotive industry experience.

Prior to his current role as Xtime’s Chief Operating Officer and General Manager, Gary was President of Xtime International, responsible for building Xtime’s product offering in international markets. He was also the former Chief Executive Officer of Infomedia Ltd, an Australian public company that provides solutions for the global automotive parts and services sector. He served various roles within the company before being appointed as CEO in 2005, including International Sales Director, General Manager and Board Director.

John continued: “I am delighted to announce the appointment of Gary Martin as Cox Automotive Australia’s CEO. Gary has extensive local, US and global experience, which together with his knowledge of the Australian market and his connections within Cox Automotive, means the company can make rapid inroads into providing integrated solutions which transform the local automotive market place.”

As the CEO of Cox Automotive Australia, Gary has the leadership responsibility for the company’s family of brands which include CarsGuide, Dealer Solutions, Manheim, Sell My Car, Dealer Solutions and soon to follow Xtime.  While his focus will be on growing the current brands in the market place, one of his top priorities will be to explore the local introduction of other global Cox Automotive brands such as Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book.  

“As a result of his time in the US working for Cox Automotive, Gary is well positioned to utilise his experience in the highly competitive global market and take advantage of the suite of Cox Automotive products and services which are already proven winners in the international marketplace, for inclusion within the Australian and New Zealand markets.”

Australian automotive industry icon, Greg Duncan (OAM), confirmed as the Chair of the Cox Automotive Australia Board of Management

Greg is a well known automotive icon and a very experienced businessman who built the Trivett Group into the largest prestige automotive retailer in Australia with 17 brands across 23 dealerships.

Greg holds an Economics degree and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and is a highly regarded and well known automotive retailer and Australian business leader. He was very recently recognised for his service to the community and to the business and automotive sectors, being awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia; OAM.

John Bailey, President of International, Cox Automotive said: “Greg is a highly regarded and well known automotive retailer and Australian business leader. With his vast automotive and commercial experience, he will be an invaluable asset for Gary and his management team.”

“Greg will provide a tangible connection into the retail automotive sector and deliver unique insights, which will form an integral component of Cox Automotive’s approach to this market. I am really excited to have Greg on board at Cox Automotive Australia.”

Since 2013 when he sold the Trivett Group, Greg has been a director and partner in JWT Bespoke, a family owned and operated boutique advisory and investment business. In 2015 he was appointed to the board of the Automotive Holdings Group (AHG), Australia’s largest automotive retailing group.

Greg was a founder, shareholder and chairman of the unlisted public company One Way Traffic, trading as CarsGuide.com.au, a joint venture between News Limited and some of Australia’s major automotive dealer groups. He was an instrumental player in initiating and completing the deal which saw the merger of CarsGuide with the existing Cox Automotive assets in Australia to form Cox Automotive Australia.

Ends/-

About Cox Automotive Australia (http://www.coxautoinc.com.au)

Cox Automotive provides services that span the entire life-cycle of buying, owning and selling vehicles and automotive assets. The new company is organised in ‘solution groups’ to best service the needs of its clients.

Under the Inventory Solutions group are Manheim and Sell My Car, providing services to dealers, fleet managers, fleet owners, businesses and consumers for any needs related to buying and selling vehicles, including logistics, sales and residual value setting.

The Media Solutions group comprises CarsGuide and Autotrader which will be relaunched by Cox Automotive later in 2017, assisting dealers and private buyers to research, buy and sell vehicles online, in addition to providing digital advertising and marketing services to the automotive industry.

Dealer Solutions represents the Retail Solutions group, with Xtime to join the group in the near future, offering dealers and manufacturers a comprehensive range of modular software and online based services, to facilitate retail vehicle sales and after-sales customer retention and vehicle servicing.

Apart from the existing brands on offer, other powerful Cox Automotive brands could be added to the market moving forward. They include Autotrader, one of the world’s largest online classifieds websites which will integrate with CarsGuide along with Kelley Blue Book and vAuto who are also under review for this market. 

Cox Automotive Australia has the resources to transform the way people buy, sell and own vehicles, through the powerful combination of its family of brands. Until now, there has not been a player in this market that can offer integrated services that span the entire life-cycle of a vehicle - from buying, owning and selling - for consumers, dealers, manufacturers, fleet and leasing companies and other automotive sector clients.

About Cox Automotive (www.coxautoinc.com)

Cox Automotive Inc. is transforming the way the world buys, sells and owns cars with industry-leading digital marketing, software, financial, wholesale and e-commerce solutions for consumers, dealers, manufacturers and the overall automotive ecosystem worldwide. Committed to open choice and dedicated to strong partnerships, the Cox Automotive family includes Autotrader®, Dealer.com®, Dealertrack®, Kelley Blue Book®, Manheim®, NextGear Capital®, vAuto®, Xtime® and a host of other brands.

The global company has 33,000 team members in more than 200 locations and is partner to more than 40,000 auto dealers, as well as most major automobile manufacturers, while engaging U.S. consumer car buyers with the most recognized media brands in the industry. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises Inc., an Atlanta-based company with revenues of $18 billion and approximately 60,000 employees. Cox Enterprises’ other major operating subsidiaries include Cox Communications and Cox Media Group. For more information about Cox Automotive, visit www.coxautoinc.com.

For further information please contact:

Mathew McAuley – Cox Automotive Public Relations
Mobile: +61 400 875 686

Email: pr@coxautoinc.com.au