9:04 am, May 21, 2018
KARL Howkins will take over as Citroën UK’s managing director in 11 days’ time.
He will replace Bek Hassan on June 1, with Hassan transferring to a senior position in Paris for the PSA Group.
Howkins, 46, pictured, is currently MD of Opel Switzerland, a position he has held since July 2016. Before that, his most recent roles were deputy managing director of FCA Fiat Chrysler Automobiles UK, managing director of Opel Netherlands and fleet operations director for Vauxhall Motors. He started his career as a management trainee in a Vauxhall dealership.
Stéphane Le Guével, director general of Peugeot Citroën Automobiles UK Ltd, said: ‘It is a great pleasure to welcome Karl to the team as Citroën UK’s new managing director. The Citroën brand will launch several significant new products in the next few months, so I am pleased that Karl’s appointment is happening now.
‘Citroën’s repositioning, in line with its new “Inspired By You” brand signature, is perfectly illustrated by its latest products, its advertising strategy and the new corporate identity for the dealer network. I am totally confident that Karl will build on these recent successes for the Citroën brand.
‘I would like to take this opportunity to thank Bek Hassan for everything he has done for the business over the past five years, and to congratulate him on his new head office role in Paris.’
Howkins said: ‘I am delighted to return to the UK at such an exciting time in the development of the Citroën brand. With a raft of new products on the horizon, including the flagship New C5 Aircross SUV this autumn, the opportunities are fantastic to drive profitable growth with our dealer partners.’
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