8:13 am, December 19, 2022
Lookers chairman Ian Bull is to step down for personal reasons at the end of the year.
In a short statement issued via the London Stock Exchange this morning, the new and used car dealership chain said Bull had notified the board of his intent, saying he would be quitting as non-executive chairman on December 31.
Non-executive director Sue Farr will assume the role of interim senior independent director while the board looks for a new chairman.
Bull was made chairman of the Car Dealer Top 100 firm in October 2021, bringing with him more than 30 years’ business and financial experience.
His career has seen him appointed chief financial officer at Parkdean Holidays and, before that, Ladbrokes and Greene King.
He has also held financial and operational roles at BT, Whitbread and Walt Disney Co.
Outside of Lookers, Bull holds senior independent directorship and non-executive directorship roles at Domino’s Pizza Group, as well as being a non-executive director and the chairman of Dunelm Group’s audit and risk committee.
Sue Farr has been made interim senior independent director at Lookers
Bull said: ‘I am sorry to be leaving at this exciting time for Lookers, with the business trading well and continuing to perform strongly.’
Senior independent director Paul Van der Burgh added: ‘Ian has been instrumental in helping us to develop and implement our strategic priorities.
‘I would like to thank him on behalf of the board and wish him well for the future.’
Farr was appointed independent non-executive director in September 2022, and was previously a non-executive director of Dairy Crest and Millennium & Copthorne Hotels.
Her Lookers profile also highlights her ‘considerable experience in marketing, branding and consumer issues from her positions at the BBC and Chime Group, along with automotive experience at General Motors Vauxhall’.
In today’s statement, Lookers said the group was making strong progress to deliver its strategic priorities and would be announcing a post-year-end trading update for the year ending December 31 in early January.
It added that trading for 2022 remained in line with expectations.
Images via Lookers
