General Manager
Al Haddad Mercedes Benz
Total years of experience :38 years, 0 Months
Leadership of an established Mercedes Benz Passenger Car and Commercial Vehicle distributor in Bahrain with a remit to build a high performing and stable management team, improve financial performance and CSI and create a solid partnership with principals. An exciting and rewarding project with a lot more potential.
• Established new relationships between family shareholders and management to allow Managers to be accountable for performance, with transparency and good governance.
• New vehicle sales increased by 61% in 2012 through attention to detail and proper processes (Best Ever in 58 years) and outselling BMW 3 to 2.
• Used cars increased 28% - adoption of MB Proven Exclusivity programme.
• Commercial Vehicles - restructured, focus and appointment of new Manager.
• Aftersales Revenues increased 28%.
• Achieved MB sales targets at 120+%.
• Achieved 100% result in MB audit operational processes and standards. Work still to do on facilities.
• Turned round loss into profit, overachieving budget by more than 300%.
• Some quick wins on CSI results but still lots to do - from 57.9 in 2011 to 77.8 at August 2013.
• Compiled strategy to relocate Aftersales facilities.
• Provided direction on better and more complete use of Autoline IT system.
• Launched "Great Place To Work" initiative as a pilot for MB.
Providing leadership to an Al-Futtaim joint venture, covering Automobiles, Electronics and Watches
• Energise an established company to take advantage of local market conditions and achieve its potential, providing the necessary resources to do so re: facilities and people. Grew workshop facilities from 2 to 7 locations with additional QSCs, and staff from around 250 to 400 (mostly in Aftersales)
Growth
Honda Sales Units 108%
Volvo Sales Units 95%
Labour turnover (QRm) 361%
Parts Turnover (QRm) 225%
Total Sales (QRm) 144%
Net Profit (QRm) 191%
• Brand development of Honda Cars, Motorcycles & Power Products, Volvo Cars, Watches (Raymond Weil, Casio, Westar, Titan), Electronics (Sanyo, Aftron, Acson (Part of Daikin))
• Established new business opportunities : Volvo Truck, Honda Marine, Casio calculators and cash registers, Vehicle Leasing, GS Battery, larger scale Electronics projects
• Diversified the automotive offering with the acquisition of the business and assets of Doha Motors, secured new franchised agreements for Proton (Malaysia), CMC (Taiwan), JMC and Brilliance Jinbei (China) and acquired a 20 year lease for new perfectly located workshop facilities. Relocated and consolidated Volvo, Honda and Motorcycle showrooms to one location - better location and facilities, cost improvement and customers liked it
• Increased sales of Honda cars to over 5, 000 units in 2008, including leadership in a number of segments. Market share in our segments at 16% is double the GCC average. Japanese market share rose from 11% in 2005 to 18% in 08/09
• Stock cover is also best in GCC at 2.0 months, with excellent Gross Margins (consistently ahead of Group colleagues)
• Structured the multi-cultural teams to reflect the demographics of the country, and engage them to provide a customer centric experience across all Divisions.
Responsibility for overall management of purpose built facility, including:
• Brand development of Mitsubishi (Passenger & Light Commercial Vehicles, Fuso Truck & Bus and Forklifts) and Freightliner and Eicher, as well as range of garage equipment
• Increasing Market share of Mitsubishi to 20%, increasing sales from 1200 units in 2000 to 2597 in 2005. Consistent year on year growth for 5 years in units, service and parts sales, ahead of local and regional markets. Net Profit increased more than 400%, and 4 times as profitable as figures available from PLC’s
• GM of a 2000 unit leasing division, including turn round of profitability at both front end and disposal levels, increasing residual values 25-50% on some models
• Coaching and training the development of aftersales and used car operations as a means to increase New vehicle sales - customer retention increased, and over 40 used vehicles sold each month, taking trade-ins, opening of additional workshop facilities, innovative finance facilities, etc
Creation of 8 acre retail motor park, including:
• Full brand separation of Volkswagen & Audi and setting up and developing Fiat, Alfa Romeo and Mazda dealerships - £2.75m spend
• Centralising administration and finance functions & installation of Kerridge computer system
• Developing non-franchise and multi franchise Parts operation
• Responsibility for all makes bodyshop operation
• Oversaw setting up of own brand Used Car Centre
• Restructuring organisation and management to enable high standards of service in the most efficient manner
• Achievement of three times the national average ROCE
• Achievement of Volkswagen and Audi Sales Objectives, as well as above national average market share
• 5 point improvement in dealership Customer Satisfaction Measurement (CSM) to above national average
• Recruitment and development of staff to create successors
• Create and maintain excellent working relationships with Vehicle Manufacturers
• Hands on management of 1000+ unit per year VW/Audi Sales Department, whilst retaining control and motivating 5 salesmen
• Restructuring of Aftersales departments with streamlined processes and emphasis on customer facing / revenue generating staff
• Responsibility for personnel, property, marketing, Health & Safety, achieved ISO 9000
• Strategic planning for the Asia Pacific region of Toyota, Lexus & Hino operations
• Review and streamline PDI, storage and logistics operations, and appraise existing and potential properties
• Assist implementation “KERRIDGE” and develop its role in Motor Trade management
• Decentralisation study of Hino
• Devise Policies and guidelines for Operating Divisions & Introduction of Key Performance Indicators, bringing a global perspective to local markets
• Review marketing strategies
• Decentralisation of customer care department, and centralisation of all Direct Marketing and Market Research functions
• Review led to establishment of Central Parts Depot and 3 times daily deliveries to spare parts outlets, centralised bodyshops and 50+% increase in use of workshop space
• Market research of competitors, menu pricing & marketing, accessories, OEM parts potential, motivational incentive schemes adding profit and enhancing quality
• Performance measurement of efficiency and productivity
March 1991 to April 1992
General Manager
Mann Egerton, Hunstanton, Norfolk, UK (Rover & Vauxhall)
March 1989 to February 1991
Assistant to Managing Director
Mann Egerton, BMW Division
• Advise new MD on the Motor Trade environment in Europe and absorb newly acquired dealerships into the group and develop initiatives on trading policies and methods
• Acting General Manager in Kiel and Raisdorf (Northern Germany - July to December 1990)
• Acting General Manager at Hunters of London (January to February 1991)
• Prepare financial appraisals for acquisitions and greenfield developments in Europe
• Submission and presentation to Inchcape Main Board Directors
• 12 projects approved, further 10 prepared, but not viable or agreement not reached with vendors
February 1988 to March 1989
Financial Analyst
Mann Egerton, Norwich, UK
• Investigate, analyse and report on projects, acquisitions and developments, and review current operations
• Introduced computer modelling techniques - Lotus 123
• Retail projects for Toyota Distributor in Greece
• Implementation of financial and computer systems into a young food trading and distribution group
• Developing financial centre of the group
A Levels in Maths and Economics