11:44 am, November 30, 2023
Two more of Marshall Motor Group’s senior directors have decided to leave the dealer, it has been revealed.
Jamie Crowther and Jon Head, both group operations directors, have decided to leave the business, now owned by Constellation Automotive Group.
Their departure was communicated by new boss Martin Casha in an all staff email yesterday which has been leaked to Car Dealer.
It said: ‘I am writing to inform you of some team changes within ExCo. Jamie Crowther, group operations director, has decided that the time is right to move on from the company.
‘I know that many of you have worked with Jamie during his time with us, and with that in mind I felt it important to notify you as a priority. I would like to thank Jamie for his dedication and contribution to Marshall over the years.
‘Jon Head, group operations director, has also taken the decision to leave the business, however we continue to operate on a business as usual basis, as Jon remains in role for the foreseeable future.’
Crowther had worked for Marshall for nearly a decade while Head had been at the company for nearly 17 years, according to their LinkedIn profiles.
A source said: ‘They will be very sorely missed by the teams. We don’t know exactly why they are leaving.’
Three senior members of the finance team are also believed to have departed the business in recent weeks.
Marshall Motor Group declined to comment when approached by Car Dealer.
Crowther said he’d enjoyed ‘10 great years at Marshall’ but wouldn’t comment further when approached. Head has also been contacted for comment.
The pair spoke to Car Dealer Live during the pandemic in a video you can watch below.
The resignations follow a series of changes at Marshall Motor Group which saw four senior directors leave the business in the last year.
Former CEO Daksh Gupta left in May 2022, CFO Richard Blumberger in December and group counsel Stephen Jones in March.
HR director Joanne Moxon also stepped down as a director on June 30. A notice on Companies House said she had ‘resigned’.
Last week, former Marshall CEO Daksh Gupta told the Car Dealer Inspiring Leaders Podcast (watch below) that he left the role when he realised decisions would no longer sit with him as the CEO.
He said: ‘I think people can get why I made that decision. It’s nothing against Constellation or any of the individuals there. It’s just a personal preference that I think I would have struggled personally in that environment.’
Constellation Automotive Group took Marshall Motor Group private last year after a £325m swoop on the listed business. Profit at Marshall has since nearly halved, its latest accounts revealed.
Marshall has also lost several franchises since the Constellation takeover. These included all the Toyota and Lexus businesses, some of which were bought in Gupta’s last big acquisition before he left of Motorline.
In its annual accounts, Marshall detailed its acquisitions and disposals during the year which saw it dispose of or close six dealerships – including Scarborough Honda, Leeds Volvo, Ipswich Kia, Scunthorpe Kia, Gatwick TPS (trade parts specialists) and Brighton TPS.
This summer, the group said it had also sold all its Toyota and Lexus franchises – 19 businesses in total – to Steven Eagell, FRF and Listers. No reason was given for the sale or how much they were sold for.
At the end of the year – which doesn’t include the Toyota and Lexus disposals – Marshall had 140 franchise sites representing 23 brands. The firm said it trades in 37 counties.
