With thanks to our contributors

As part of Cox Automotive’s International Strategy team, Philip is responsible for developing insights that support the strategic decisions of both Cox Automotive and its customers.

A widely experienced and high-profile automotive specialist with a wealth of knowledge gained at the most senior levels whilst working for and with blue-chip businesses within the sector, Philip has over 30 years’ experience in the automotive industry.

A highly analytical thinker, Philip is skilled in taking high-level industry intelligence and combining it with data analysis to identify trends and develop strategic insight. As a respected industry commentator he has developed a reputation as someone able to provide compelling and easy to understand 'executive summaries’ for a variety of written reports through extracting contextual reading from raw data.

Owen is a member of the Grant Thornton Automotive Advisory practice, working in the Business Consulting division

He worked for seven years at Inchcape Plc, the world’s largest independent motor retailer and distributor. For four years, he was the Director of Business Development, undertaking acquisitions and focusing on the strategic positioning of the business across the globe. Prior to this, as Group Strategy Manager, his projects included introducing new brands into emerging markets, restructuring a number of the groups overseas underperforming operations, and compiling the group’s five-year strategy plan.

Prior to joining Grant Thornton, he recently advised Marshall Motor Holdings Plc on their floatation on the London Stock Exchange.

After graduating, Louise Wallis worked in several positions in the retail motor industry including roles as Assistant Accountant for Quicks and Dealership Accountant for Fairway Nissan. She joined the RMI as Business Development Consultant in 1996 and became Head of Business Development in 2005, adding Head of National Association of Motor Auctions (NAMA) in 2008. Louise Wallis became the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA) Head of Business Management in 2011.

Louise’s main responsibilities and areas of expertise include used cars and auction issues, dealers’ KPIs and performance, finance, and insurance, as well as general advice to members on business issues.

The National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA) is the trade association representing franchised car and commercial vehicle retailers in the UK. The automotive retail sector is one of the pillars of the UK economy, it has a turnover of around £200 billion and employs 590,000 people. There are about 4,500 automotive franchised retailer outlets in the UK. NFDA is the voice of automotive retailers.

Chris has spent over 30 years in the motor industry having started life in the franchise dealer network working in sales and management before founding and launching Motoring.co.uk, which later became Regit, in 2017.

During his time leading Regit, Chris has been at the forefront of developing a platform that holds invaluable data on UK car owners and the vehicles they drive allowing OEMs to access this data in a secure and brand safe environment. His passion for all things automotive is as strong now as it has ever been. With a keen eye for detail, Chris is constantly working with his partners to help improve conversion rates for OEMs and dealers across the country through the implementation of new technologies and is totally committed on Regit being the authoritative & educational platform to help consumers shift from combustion engine to EV.

Chris also speaks up for the motorist and the wider industry at every available opportunity to the BBC and numerous national newspapers, regularly urging the government to implement nationwide EV infrastructure quicker to encourage adoption en masse, as well as helping to stand up to Sadiq Kahn and other key decision-makers as they continue to exercise and lobbying against levies on motorists.

Regit is a digital garage that has over 2.7m of the UK’s motorists signed up to its platform, helping people across the country to buy, sell and maintain their vehicles at the click of a finger. Its engaged audience generates industry insight that directly shapes campaigns for OEMs daily, while its platform is also used to deliver results for both sales and after sales.

Didier Van Bouwel 
Chief Operating Officer, Modix International

Didier has spent around 18 years in the automotive sector, joining Manheim Belgium in 2004 from technology and customer services roles. He became Managing Director of Modix Benelux and France in 2011, taking on full global responsibility in 2015. Based between Belgium and Germany, Didier looks after Modix’s global operations, as well as overseeing global strategic partnerships.

LinkedIn

Sam Panayides (nee Watkins)
Sales Director, Cox Automotive Europe

Sam joined Cox Automotive in 2019, via the acquisition of C Walton Ltd where she was Director of Sales and Marketing responsible for taking annual turnover from £3m to £45m. She has more than 25 years’ experience across vehicle manufacturers and as a dealer principal in the retail sector.

Her first position within Cox Automotive was as Commercial Director of Manheim Vehicle Services, where she played an instrumental role in retaining and winning major contracts. Her current Sales Director role was created in June 2021 and reports directly into the Chief Customer Officer Cox Automotive Europe.

Sam has a master’s degree in Strategic Automotive Management, sat on the electrified vehicle sector advisory group with the IMI and chaired the Vehicle Remarketing Association for two years during the pandemic, being succeeded by Cox Automotive Insight and Strategy Director Philip Nothard in January 2021.

LinkedIn

Matthew Davock 
Director of Commercial Vehicles, Manheim UK

Matthew joined Manheim’s Haydock auction centre straight out of school and started his working life on a business apprenticeship scheme. He has spent 25 years with the business, taking on Head of LCV in 2014 and Director of Commercial Vehicles in 2018. He has also supported the development of Manheim’s online commercial vehicle offering and drives the future strategy for the UK business today.

LinkedIn

Mike Mosier
Sales and Operations Director, Cox Automotive Continental Europe

Mike started his career in the US, first in accounting and then taking on the running of several auction centres as standalone businesses. He was a regional controller and general manager, before moving to Europe in 2006. Over the past 15 years, Mike has been involved in building up the various Cox Automotive businesses in Europe, as well as responding to the recession and, latterly, the global pandemic.

LinkedIn

Sebastian Fuchs
Managing Director, Manheim and RMS Automotive Continental Europe

Sebastian has spent over 20 years in the automotive sector, working across the European operations of several vehicle manufacturers and rental companies. Much of this time was spent in used car and remarketing functions before Sebastian brought this experience to RMS Automotive in 2017. He is based in Germany and has worked across Europe over the past two decades.

LinkedIn

Martin Forbes
President, Cox Automotive International

Pete Bell
Chief Operating Officer, Cox Automotive Europe

Paul Humphreys
Managing Director, Cox Automotive Mobility Solutions - International

Stuart Miles
Managing Director, Retail Services, Cox Automotive Europe

Le Etta Pearce
Chief Executive, Dealer Auction

Jonathan Smoke
Chief Economist at Cox Automotive Inc

Brian Murphy
Managing Director, Kelley Blue Book & Data Solutions, Cox Automotive Canada and Brazil

Frederik De Witte
Co-founder of FleetMaster

Liam Quegan
Managing Director, Manheim Auction Services and NextGear Capital

Dave Dunkley
CEO, Grant Thornton UK LLP

Tom Callow 
Head of Insight and External Affairs, bp pulse

Tom has worked in the automotive sector since 2008, chairing the SMMT Electric Vehicle Group in 2014 while Account Director at a specialist PR agency. He moved in-house with Cox Automotive to head up external affairs, before joining the team at Chargemaster, now bp pulse.

LinkedIn

Professor Dr Michaela Kendall
CEO, Adelan

Michaela is an environmental scientist with more than 30 years’ international experience. Assistant Professor at New York University at the age of 30 and holding faculty-level positions in America, Asia and Europe, Michaela is the UK Hydrogen Champion at Mission Innovation. Michaela is passionate about reducing atmospheric emissions from combustion and improving air quality after years of studying environmental problems, she now develops solutions using Adelan fuel cell technology.

LinkedIn

Dean Hedger 
EV New Business Development Manager, the AA

Spending more than 25 years in the motor industry and a regular on panel discussions, Dean's electric vehicle experience lends him the knowledge to advise on EV infrastructure, maintenance, and procurement. He is in the Top 40 Green Fleet 100 Most Influential for 2021. Working with the AA’s senior management team, Dean is delivering new product and services innovation.

LinkedIn

As well as the contributors above - content, data science, copy, design, proofing, project management by:

Aimee Postle, Alex Sopp, Craig Mailey, Hannah Jackson,
Jeremy Merckel, Louise Harrison, Luke Fletcher, Matt Boulton, Michael O'Rourke, Scott McGee and Siobhan O’Donoghue.