May 8, 2008
SSANGYONG GAINS EX-BANK OF SCOTLAND MAN, DAVID FOSTER
SsangYong’s senior management team has been significantly strengthened with the appointment of former Bank of Scotland executive, David Foster as dealer development manager.
Foster (45) joins importer and distributor Koelliker UK (KUK) at a crucial time in its relaunch of the brand and franchise, reporting to finance and operations director, Ian Nicholson. Starting from scratch with SsangYong in January, the company has been putting the building blocks in place for a viable franchise and dealer network, with a target of 60-70 fully active, successful and profitable dealers this year.
David Foster is well-known in the motor trade and industry, having held the position of senior director for the last 10 years with Bank of Scotland Dealer Finance (formerly Capital Bank Motor Finance) since joining in 1994. Throughout his time with the bank, Foster worked with, and had responsibility for, joint ventures and manufacturer and importer relationships, working at board level on a number of Bank of Scotland and manufacturer joint venture companies.
He joined the automotive financial services sector in 1985 with UDT (now Blackhorse Motor Finance), having earlier gained sharp-end experience as a dealership sales manager. UDT provided the opportunity to thoroughly learn the business before joining Bank of Scotland at a time when it was determined to become a serious player in motor finance. In particular, Foster has solid experience of working with start-up importer and franchise dealer models. He also worked with the SsangYong brand both at UDT and for the last 13 years.
David Foster said: “With possible future changes in Block Exemption, there will be opportunities for all of us. The SsangYong team is ready to take on the changes, and having worked closely with my new colleagues in their previous roles, I know that they have worked successfully with start-up businesses before. I’m delighted to be part of the team.
“KUK has made enormous strides in just a few months and SsangYong has a great chance to provide dealers with valuable income streams at a very low cost of entry to the franchise. I’m looking forward to adding real value to the existing network and helping to build the brand across the UK in the recruitment of new dealers.”
Ian Nicholson commented: “We are absolutely delighted to be joined by a man of David’s experience and stature. The dealer development role is crucial to the success of SsangYong in the UK and David’s contribution will be of immense value to KUK and our dealers.”
David Foster is married with two children, and away from work he enjoys football, golf, motor sport and foreign travel. He is also a chairman of school governors with the determination to bring a business-like approach to the ‘back office’ of a rural village school that was threatened with closure. He counts his role in the recent financial turnaround of the school, business community support and the establishment of the school as a training centre for other schools as one of his most satisfying achievements.
There are currently 13 variations of the SsangYong Kyron, Rexton and Rodius model line-ups in the UK with OTR prices ranging from £14,995 to £24,995. KUK is part of Gruppo Koelliker, a long-established private Italian company that also distributes SsangYong in Italy, Austria and Hungary.
Ends
Issued on behalf of Koelliker UK Ltd by S-Presso. For further information including background facts on Gruppo Koelliker and SsangYong, contact Simon Small on 01622 812961 / 07860 438738, Skype – simon.small99 or simon.small@spresso.co.uk
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