Ramsays exit caps reshuffle at Honda

Honda UK general manager of cars Ewan Ramsay is leaving the company after less than two years in the role. He will be replaced by the marque’s head of sales Bernard Bradley.

Ramsay is joining Gargash Enterprises, the Mercedes-Benz distributor in Dubai, as general manager.

Ramsay joined the company at the start of last year to oversee the day-to-day running of the car division (MW November 17, 2005). The company’s high-profile marketing director Simon Thompson left to join Motorola soon after his arrival. Thompson has since moved to Lastminute.com as chief marketing officer.

Bradley’s promotion – and the subsequent appointment of his replacement – will complete an overhaul of Honda’s senior management team in the UK that has been going on since Thompson’s departure.

Thompson’s replacement Jeff Dodds left to join Callaway Golf after less than a year in the role. Tom Gardner, who was head of aftersales, replaced him as head of marketing.

Bradley joined Honda from BMW last summer (MW August 3, 2006). He has previously worked in sales and marketing for Volkswagen, Volvo and Vauxhall. He takes over as general manager of cars at Honda next week and will report to Honda UK’s group managing director Ken Kier.

Ramsay rejoined Honda at the start of 2006 from DaimlerChrysler, where he was managing director of the retail division. He held various sales roles at the Japanese marque in the 1990s, before leaving to join Volkswagen Australia. Ramsay was also managing director of Mercedes-Benz passenger car sales during his time at DaimlerChrysler.