Vauxhall promotes sales director to head combined group marketing

Vauxhall Motors has promoted sales director Bill Parfitt to head marketing, sales and customer care, following the retirement of Ian Coomber.

Parfitt takes up the position at the start of July, in preparation for Coomber’s retirement in September.

Coomber has worked for Vauxhall for 38 years. He was given various assignments in the commercial department and has been a board member since 1993, as the car company’s director of sales, marketing and customer care.

Parfitt joined Vauxhall in 1998 as fleet sales director. Previously, he was managing director of Henley’s Motor Group.

Last year, Coomber oversaw the merger of the sales and marketing departments of Vauxhall’s three separate divisions. As well as including Vauxhall’s marketing for new cars, the division now includes Masterfit – after-sales – and Network Q – used-car sales. Coomber headed the new division, and Dean Barrett, Vauxhall’s marketing director, reported to him.

Lowe Lintas picked up an extra £15m of business in an agency consolidation during the internal mergers at Vauxhall.

The company recently dropped comedian Griff Rhys-Jones as the face of its advertising (MW April 12).

The ads, which attracted widespread criticism, had been running since November 1999. Rhys-Jones’ contract was understood to be worth about £600,000 a year.

Lowe Lintas is now working on a different strategy for the car giant.