6:59 am, April 2, 2023
Constellation Automotive Group – the owner of Marshall Motor Group and Cinch – has appointed James Mullins to its group board.
Mullins, already the CEO of Cinch and former Cambria Automobiles CFO, has also appointed to the Marshall Motor Group board.
The group has insisted he will not be taking on the CEO role at Marshall’s, a role left vacant since Daksh Gupta’s sudden departure last year.
Mullins’ appointment could be a move to bring the established franchised Marshall business closer together with the online only used car dealer Cinch.
The switch comes as group director Timothy Lampert had more than 100 directorships connected with the group ‘terminated’.
Filings with Companies House late Friday night show Lampert’s details have been removed from at least 114 limited companies connected in some way with the sprawling automotive giant and he has been left as a director of just one.
Although the company insists Lampert remains a ‘committed and long-term employee’ of the firm, he is now a director of only BCA MIP Nominee LTD, what is believed to be the management incentive programme associated with the group.
Mystery surrounds the sudden ‘termination’ of his directorships – the official name given to the changes by Companies House. The 114 companies connected with Constellation that he was associated with now show he ‘resigned’ as a director on March 31, 2023.
On LinkedIn, Lampert gives his job title as Constellation’s CFO, but he is believed to be the group operating director of the businesses which include the BCA auction house and WeBuyAnyCar.com.
A spokesperson for Constellation Automotive Group said: ‘These are corporate level directorate changes and we can confirm that Tim Lampert is, and will remain, a committed and long-term employee of Constellation, as he has been from day one and that James Mullins continues to be a Constellation Group employee and member of the group management board.
‘Marshalls has recently appointed Mark Hemus as CFO, and a CEO replacement search continues.
‘We can confirm that James Mullins will not be taking up either of these roles.’
Constellation Automotive Group was asked why Lampert was terminated as a director from the 114 companies and and left on just one and what his role will now be with the firm, but it did not make a further comment.
The changes come three weeks after Marshall Motor Group group counsel Stephen Jones left the business.
Constellation Automotive Group is the ultimate owner of Marshall after taking the dealer private in a £325m deal off the Stock Market last year.
Jones was the third high profile director to leave the dealer group since the sale.
Daksh Gupta, former CEO was a high profile casualty of the takeover leaving the business in May 2022. He left abruptly after discussions with the board and the new owners.
Chief financial officer Richard Blumberger then quit after nearly four years with the business at the end of December.
