10:00 am, August 3, 2023
Lotus has appointed Conor Horne as its commercial director for the UK and Ireland.
He has joined the sports and racing cars manufacturer after six years at Volvo, where he was in charge of launching and expanding its direct-to-consumer sales initiative, as well managing the Swedish firm’s move to agency sales in the UK.
Lotus aims to sell 150,000 vehicles a year by 2028 – its 80th anniversary – and Horne will work closely with its leadership team to further develop the business development strategy, as well as seeking new growth opportunities.
The manufacturer plans to have 105 stores in Europe by 2025, with Horne leading the roll-out of more stores in the UK and Ireland.
‘Lotus has a world-class team, industry-leading technologies and a strong heritage, which combined has enormous potential,’ he said.
‘I look forward to building our presence and unlocking new growth opportunities in the UK and Ireland, as the company delivers its vision to become a global luxury performance brand.’
Mike Johnstone, chief commercial officer at Lotus Group, said: ‘As Lotus continues to scale globally, Conor brings strong experience in business development, which will help us scale the brand and grow our customer base in the UK and Ireland.’
The Hethel-based manufacturer is aiming to transform into an all-electric intelligent, luxury brand by 2028 and began delivering on its promise with the debut of the Eletre last year.
It has started production for the vehicle and expects to deliver to customers in the UK and Europe later this summer.
Last month, though, Lotus revealed that up to 200 jobs would be axed in the wake of deepening losses.
