8:39 pm, October 1, 2024
Sytner boss Darren Edwards is to bring the curtain down on his illustrious career in the motor trade after announcing his retirement at the end of the year.
Edwards, who has worked in the automotive industry for over four decades, is to vacate his position with the Car Dealer Top 100 dealer group from January 1.
He will be replaced by American John Cragg, who joins from Sytner’s parent company, Penske Automotive Group, where he is the executive vice president of Eastern US operations.
Confirming his retirement, Edwards said: ‘Over the past 40 years I have had the privilege to be part of this amazing and diverse industry.
‘Having started as an apprentice in 1984 and retiring in 2024 as CEO of one of the UK’s most admired dealer groups, my career has been an incredibly rewarding journey and I will remain forever grateful to Roger, the teams at Penske and Sytner and the many personalities who have supported me over all these years.
‘With John as CEO, I know the group has an extremely bright future. Looking ahead, I am excited at the prospect of spending quality time with my wife Nicky, our daughters Charlotte and Ella and our growing family.’
During Edwards time at the helm, Sytner has become a powerhouse of the UK motor trade, coming second only to Arnold Clark in our most recent Car Dealer Top 100 list.
Th group has a chocolate box of brands that most dealers would envy. In the high end luxury world it represents Ferrari, McLaren, Bentley, Bugatti, Aston Martin, Lamborghini, Maserati, Rolls Royce and Porsche.
Sytner is also Audi’s biggest partner in the UK and represents Jaguar Land Rover, BMW, Mercedes, Seat, Skoda and Volkswagen among others.
Edwards sat down for an exclusive video interview with Car Dealer back in 2021, which you can watch here.
Paying tribute to the outgoing boss, Roger Penske, chair and CEO of PAG, said: ‘Darren’s leadership and operational contributions have led to significant growth of our UK operations.
‘Under his guidance, Sytner has become synonymous with excellence in the marketplace, with our OEM partners and amongst our 10,600 team members.
‘Over the past ten years our revenue has doubled, and our team has grown by nearly 4,000 people.
‘Most importantly, Darren has always put “team” first, which has resulted in numerous industry awards including the Sunday Times Best Company to work for.
‘Darren will be greatly missed at Sytner and by the Penske organisation and we wish him and his wife Nicky, a joyous next chapter of their lives.’
New man Cragg will be moving across the Atlantic to fill Edwards’ boots as CEO, having begun his career in the motor trade as a sale executive in 1994.
Penske added: ‘I am pleased to announce that John Cragg will be relocating to the UK as the CEO of Sytner Group.
‘John’s significant roots at Sytner include eighteen years of progressively more significant roles beginning as a sale executive in 1994 and achieving success in each ensuing role he held including divisional managing director of our Audi division.
‘In 2012, John was appointed executive vice president, east operations for PAG and his leadership capabilities and extraordinary people skills have been noted as benchmarks of excellence from both inside and outside the company.
‘John will relocate to the UK in early October and work with Darren through a transition period, beginning his new assignment on January 1, 2025.’
