12:20 pm, November 21, 2014
Wayne Bowser, left, and Craig Fraser
TWO recent appointments by West Yorkshire-based car dealership Harratts are playing a key role in the firm’s revival in fortunes.
The arrival of group operations director Craig Fraser, a chartered accountant, and the appointment of Wayne Bowser as non-executive director are contributing towards a turnaround after a challenging couple of years for the family-owned business.
As a former semi-professional footballer, Craig knows all about teamwork and has an impressive CV encompassing more than 35 years in the motor industry, including an established track record in turning around dealerships that were struggling.
Craig, who hails originally from Ayrshire, explained: ‘A combination of well-appointed facilities in good locations and the family-owned nature of the business were the key reasons why I was attracted to this challenge.
‘Communication is at the very core of everything I’m doing here. From improving customer service to keeping suppliers happy to ensuring we’ve got a well motivated and happy team of staff, I adopt an open-door policy and it’s all about using the right approach in order to get this business back on track.
‘All of the major issues have been addressed or are being addressed on an ongoing basis and the initial signs are very positive.’
Wayne Bowser had a long and distinguished career at HSBC establishing a reputation with many UK business leaders as a trusted and dynamic banking partner before branching out on his own.
Wayne commented: ‘I have long believed that in an increasingly competitive business environment that’s high in uncertainty, the role of non-executive directors in the boardroom has never been so important. Fresh thinking, high-level corporate experience, sound investment advice and risk management are among the most important assets a modern business needs if it is to flourish.’
Harratts MD Shaun Harratt is delighted with the new arrivals: ‘It’s fair to say that our initial restructure last year simply did not work and we had to go back to scratch. Since then we’ve made key appointments in Craig and Wayne whose input and experience of turnarounds is playing a critical part in getting the business back on track.’
Founded in 1966 in Ossett, The Harratts Group now has dealerships in Pontefract, Wakefield, Leeds, Darton and Huddersfield representing Mitsubishi, Renault, Honda, Peugeot, Dacia and Kia.
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