9:55 am, November 11, 2026
Troubled dealer group Hendy Automotive has officially confirmed the appointment of Simon Bottomley as chief operating officer, following the departure of Duncan McPhee.
Companies House filings made this morning (Nov 11) have confirmed that Bottomley is now a director of Hendy Automotive Limited.
The appointment marks a return to the role Bottomley previously held at Hendy between 2018 and 2023. Since leaving the retailer, the 58-year-old has held a number of senior positions across the motor trade, including working as the chair of Jigcar.
The announcement of his return came just minutes after the termination of McPhee’s directorship was confirmed with immediate effect.
Car Dealer reported last month that the 50-year-old will be taking up the position of CEO at Athenea from November 16.
The recent moves mark the latest steps in a major shake-up of Hendy’s top team, following heavy losses.
Hendy recently appointed former Peugeot CEO Linda Jackson to its board, while ex-Cazoo chairman Tim Issacs was later appointed executive chair.
In April it was revealed that Hendy had slumped to a £18.1m loss in 2024 in accounts that were published more than a month late. The documents also said 2025 was likely to show a loss too.
Also at the firm, as non-executive chairman, is industry legend Daksh Gupta, who appeared on the latest episode of the Car Dealer Podcast.
During the interview, he discussed his involvement with Hendy, where he acknowledged that the dealer group was working through several challenges.
He said changes to the management team, including the return of Simon Bottomley as chief operating officer and the appointment of a new chair, would help strengthen the business.
‘I think you’ve covered that it’s got some challenges in that business that we’re working through,’ he said.
‘We’re obviously doing all the right things to get that business into a position where it should be because it’s a fantastic business.’
He added that Hendy was facing some of the same manufacturer-related pressures affecting other large dealer groups.
‘Some of the challenges that we’ve been talking about, about OEMs, we’re experiencing that,’ he said.
You can listen to the full episode below: