11:05 am, December 21, 2022
Eastern Western Motor Group has announced changes to its board after joint managing director Peter Collin decided to retire.
Collin is to step away from his role at the end of this year having first joined the Car Dealer Top 100 firm in 1992.
His decision has sparked a major reshuffle among the top team of the company with three new divisional managing directors appointed in his place.
The trio of Magnus Wang, John LaTrobe and Graham Affleck have all been promoted from within the company and become main board directors.
Meanwhile, Collin’s co-managing director – Keith Duncan – takes up the post of group managing director, with overall responsibility for the group and its strategic direction.
Finally, Eastern Western’s owner – Douglas Brown – will assume the title of chairman & CEO.
Confirming the news on LinkedIn, Keith Duncan wrote: ‘My friend, colleague and joint managing director, Peter Collin, retires (effectively) at the end of this year.
‘His thirty years of loyal service to EWMG has been pivotal to the group’s growth and he will be sorely missed. On a personal level, I will miss him and I hope he has a long and healthy retirement.
‘Peter retires at a time of significant planned growth for EWMG, so now was the right time for Douglas and me to strengthen the EWMG Board by replacing Peter with three new directors – divisional managing directors – who will be main board directors of Eastern Western Motor Group Limited and all its subsidiaries.
‘Douglas, our owner, becomes ‘chairman & CEO’ whilst I take on the mantle of group managing director with responsibility for the entire group and its strategic direction.’
Wang, LaTrobe and Affleck all move up to board level from existing franchises in the group’s dealer network.
Wang is leaving his post as franchise director of all BMW and Mini businesses and will be replaced by Victoria Steel. Meanwhile, LaTrobe is replaced as franchise director of all Nissan and Mazda businesses by Andrew Oag.
Finally, Affleck’s job as franchise director of all Mercedes-Benz passenger car businesses will be filled by Debbie Inglis.
Duncan added: ‘As is the way with senior EWMG managers, they also have an average service with the group of over thirty years each!
‘Each of them is promoted to the board from their current franchise director roles and all have a superb track record with their respective franchises.’
