DEALER group Benfield has announced the appointment of Heike O’Leary as group marketing director.
Benfield says O’Leary is joining the company at a time when consumer confidence is high in the motor industry and she brings a wealth of blue chip marketing experience to the privately owned business.
Previously brand marketing director for Adidas, O’Leary has been strategic projects manager for Callaway Golf and has also worked for a London-based marketing agency on a strategic level with clients such as Debenhams, Nissan, Ford, Bally, Karstadt and Citibank.
Benfield says she will help drive awareness of the brand and 34-strong portfolio of dealerships throughout the north east, Teesside, Yorkshire, Cumbria and south west Scotland.
Mark Squires, chief executive, said: ‘This is an exciting appointment for us and demonstrates our strategic intent to grow and develop our brand and marketing across the regions we serve.
‘We are investing heavily in our consumer led strategies to improve our customer service and improve the overall consumer experience for our customers.
‘Heike will bring invaluable and undoubted in-house and agency brand marketing expertise to Benfield and we are delighted she is joining us at this time in our development.’
O’Leary added: ‘I’m absolutely delighted to be joining Benfield who are a very well respected and well run family business.
‘I am very much looking forward developing the Benfield brand and marketing strategies further and working with a very strong team of people and some fantastic worldwide renowned car brands.’
