8:55 am, January 14, 2021
Online used car sales website Carzam.co.uk is expanding its management team and hired two industry heavyweights.
It has appointed former Cox Automotive president and Manheim chief financial officer Michael Buxton and former Renault Retail digital director Ashley Wade to ‘help move the business onto the next level’, it said.
The two new appointments follow the hiring of Kirk O’Callaghan as CEO, who will soon join Carzam directly from Sytner Group’s CarShop.
Wade’s decade of digital automotive marketing experience is being seen as critical for Carzam’s future growth.
Commenting on his appointment, Wade said: ‘I am very pleased and excited to have joined the Carzam team and look forward to working at the forefront of what I foresee as a wholesale industry change.
‘Carzam has an amazing grasp on how fast the industry is evolving and holds a very strong vision for the future. The team around us is very experienced with a wealth of industry expertise, it’s a brilliant time to have joined such a visionary new business.’
Carzam said the appointment of Michael Buxton brings ‘a vast amount of knowledge and experience of the automotive industry and in particular the finance and wholesale side’ to the company.
Buxton said: ‘I am delighted and excited to have joined Carzam at this stage in its journey. We have a clear purpose to lead and accelerate change within the used car remarketing and retail sectors and we are building the team and resources to meet that goal.
‘I have worked with founding shareholders John and Peter over many years and it is great to be back with them and the new team at Carzam.’
Carzam went live in December and offers thousands of used cars for sale via its online platform. It can offer a next-day turnaround on much of its stock.
It has collection hubs in Corby, Northamptonshire, and Stratford, London, where customers can pick up their purchases on the same day.
Its main hub in Peterborough, Cambs, inspects and prepares the cars offered for sale via the Carzam website.
It’s the brainchild of Big Motoring World Boss Peter Waddell, who’s teamed up with investor and former Cox Automotive International president, John Bailey.
Commenting on the appointments, Waddell said: ‘These two new hires underpin our determination to create the best possible team from the world of retail, wholesale and technology.
‘Our motor trade experience will be what drives the success of Carzam and I am delighted to have Michael and Ashley on board.
‘Selling used cars online will be made even easier with this industry knowledge and expertise that these new appointments bring on board.’
Car Dealer had an exclusive tour of the main Peterborough hub last year – you can have a look around too by watching the video at the top of this story
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