Jaguar promotes marketing to the board

Jaguar Land Rover has appointed the first global brand directors for both Jaguar and Land Rover and given them a seat on the board in an overhaul of its senior management structure.

The company says it has restructured the organisation to boost its global marketing division and strengthen each brand following the news that Jaguar UK managing director Mike O’Driscoll is to retire in March 2011.

John Edwards, currently managing director of Land Rover UK and central Europe takes on the global brand director role for Land Rover.

Adrian Hallmark, former executive sales director at Saab Automobile will take on the global brand director role for the Jaguar brand.

CEO Dr Ralf Speth says that the restructure is being implemented to “accelerate its progress towards developing a strong and consistently profitable global business centred on the iconic Jaguar and Land Rover brands” after being sold by Ford in 2008.

Jaguar Land Rover is enjoying a period of growth reporting a 16% rise in year on year sales in September. The company has also scrapped plans to close its Midland plant and is creating 2,000 extra jobs.

Speth adds: “The changes will also ensure that the voice of the customer is heard even more clearly at the most senior level in the business.”

Previously, managing directors were responsible for each brand.

Jaguar Land Rover has also promoted Phil Popham, currently Land Rover managing director to Director of global sales and service operations and current director of customer services Mike Wright to the new role of executive director for Jaguar Land Rover with additional responsibility for developing corporate strategies.

All four will report directly to Speth from 1 December.

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