CV

Experience detail

Automotive
• Owned and operated used car dealership with mechanical and body shop and forecourt/fuel sales.
• Owned and operated specialist performance/competition car preparation and maintenance business
• Race car engine building, tuning and set-up.
• Chassis/suspension development and set-up.
• Competition event service.
• Reasonably competent racing driver!

Marketing

Budget:
• Proposed and presented annual marketing budget to fellow board members.
Annual budget peaked at £2.2 million covering 36 company stores with a turnover of £42 million.
• Set up separate national adverting budget to incorporate franchise stores (number of stores company plus franchise totalling 78). Turnover of company and franchise stores combined peaked at £65 million.
• Generated monthly spend to sales performance reports for each individual store.
• Determined break-down of budget into agency fees, media use, production/print/distribution, ticketing/point of sale material, tertiary activity.
• Planning media spend in relation to seasonality factors, paydays, Bank Holidays, national events etc.

Media/production:
• Determining best media choice per store.
• Design/manage production of advert copy (TV, radio, press, leaflets, mailshots, bill-boards). Ensuring compliance with pricing/advertising regulations.
• Set-up and monitor advertising response system, take action on information produced.
• Point of sale material and ticketing design/print/distribution.

Annual Promotion Plan:
• Planning annual promotional calendar to include major sales campaigns combined with individual store activity/promotional events.
• Liaising with Buying, Logistics and Retail Operations departments to ensure roll out.

Retail Finance:
• Negotiate subsidy/commission rates with finance companies.
• Plan retail finance based promotional activity.
• Set-up staff incentive schemes.
• Report on finance use store by store.

Product Pricing:
• Generating and managing price file.
• Ensuring clarity of product pricing in-store.
• Designing price promotional activity, whilst adhering to pricing regulations.
• Monitor and report on gross margin performance.
• Managing pricing architecture within specific product range and across range portfolio.

Communication

• Write up staff directives for marketing initiatives, report procedures, promotional events, property issues,
• Monthly board reports.
• Company weekly newsletter, regularly contribute, editorial responsibility.

Seminars

• Organising quarterly franchise meetings.
• Play a key role in the organisation of the annual franchise seminar, typical budget for the event being £40k..

Property

Estates Management:
• Setting and maintaining budgets for maintenance/repairs/services/security, negotiating contracts 38 stores.
• Monthly board reports highlighting high spend categories/stores and actions taken.
• Assess landlord dilapidations reports, negotiate and take action.
• Setting up and maintaining instore property directories, maintenance request systems.

Site Acquisition:
• Target areas for new store locations. Assess population/demographics/drive times/competitors.
• Research media /marketing potential and cost.
• Assess potential properties. Calculate breakeven figure. Assess potential turnover.
• Recommend potential sites to fellow board members.
• Lease negotiation, rents/term/break clauses/incentives/rent free period etc. Responsible for signing off leases of up to twenty years in length with rents of up to £250k pa.
• Achieved year 2003 target of opening ten new company stores, two company store relocations and eight new franchise stores.
• Organise shop fit. Specifications/schedules/contractors/budgets.
• Project manage store opening plan incorporating marketing, merchandising, buying, logistics, and retail operations departments.

Disposals:
• Lease surrender negotiations.
• Premiums received 2004 totalled £1.3 million.

Logistics/Operation
• Negotiating contracts with national distribution companies.
• Managing head office interdepartmental functions.
• Developing and implementing national stock movement policy.

Business set-ups
• Franchise store search and acquisition.
• Assist franchisees with funding applications.
• Prepare business plans. Presenting breakeven/cash flow, P+L.
• Purchased garage business out of receivership. Set up fuel sales/forecourt shop/MOT bay/mechanical and body workshops/used car sales.

Employment History