Aston Martin creates global sales role

Aston Martin has appointed former Harley Davidson marketer Michael van der Sande into the new role of chief commercial officer in a bid to drive global sales.

Aston Martin Vanquish
Aston Martin Vanquish

Based at the company’s headquarters in Gaydon, UK, he will report to chief executive Dr Ulrich Bez and will join the company’s executive board of management.

Van der Sande joins from Tesla Motors. He has previously spent 12 years with Harley Davidson, where he held a variety of senior roles in marketing, dealer development, product development and commercial operations. He was also VP and managing director of Harley Davidson Europe.

In his new role as chief commercial officer he will take on responsibility of all commercial areas in a bid to further develop and strengthen its key areas of the business.

The luxury car brand was this year usurped by Apple’s iPhone to take the top spot in the SuperBrands CoolBrands survey.

Aston Martin, which is often associated with James Bond, has held the top spot for the past three years.