9:15 am, October 6, 2023
GWM Ora UK has appointed a new head of sales – David Chesterman.
Chesterman makes the move to the Chinese electric car brand from Volvo Car UK, where he gained over 20 years of automotive experience in various commercial roles.
Most recently he was national fleet operations lead for the Swedish carmaker, and has also headed up Volvo’s used car operations and set-up its OEM direct-to-consumer used car sales platform.
Chesterman takes over from David Parry who is now moving into semi-retirement and working a part time support role as general manager.
Parry formerly worked for Mitsubishi Motors in the UK for over 20 years in various different commercial roles and joined GWM Ora UK in February 2022.
Speaking about the new appointment, GWM Ora UK managing director, Toby Marshall said: ‘It is fantastic to welcome David Chesterman to the GWM Ora UK team. His wealth of automotive experience will be a fantastic asset as we build on the solid foundations laid in 2023.
‘Moving forward, David will play a key role in delivering sales growth for the brand, enhancing our position as a leader in the e-mobility sector.’
Chesterman said: ‘I am delighted to join such a fresh, energetic EV brand that is right at the beginning of its journey in the UK.
‘The team have already done a great job of establishing an excellent foothold, appointing key retailers and driving brand awareness with consumers and business partners.
‘I look forward to building on this success as we scale our operations and introduce exciting new products and services.’
The news of the appointment comes in the same week as GWM Ora announced it was creating a number of test drive centres to support its dealer network, and launching a new special edition of its Ora Funky Cat to mark one year of sales in the UK.
