Chiefs quit at Cadillac as UK office is scaled back

Cadillac and Corvette Europe’s UK managing director Malcolm Wade and head of marketing Alastair Welham have left the company after their roles were scrapped.

Wade, a former Volvo marketer, was appointed to launch the marque’s UK office in April last year (MW April 14, 2005), and Welham joined in the marketing role three months later (MW July 20, 2005).

But the office in Bracknell has been scaled back from four people to two, with Cadillac and Corvette’s distributor Pendragon now working directly with the company’s management in Holland.

It is thought that Wade, who left first, is now working at a motorbike clothing and accessories company. It is not known whether Welham has a job to go to.

The UK office will now be run by head of PR Andrew Andersz and after-sales manager Kevin Boyce. Andersz confirms that Wade and Welham have left the company. He adds: “It got to the stage where we didn’t need a dedicated MD and head of marketing in the UK.”

General Motors decided to launch the luxury marques in the UK two years ago (MW November 25, 2004). Netherlands-based Kroymans Corporation has the rights to market the Cadillac and Corvette brands in Europe, but signed a deal with UK dealership Pendragon to market them in the UK.

Wade left Volvo in 1999 to join Rolls-Royce as UK managing director (MW July 8, 1999). Welham joined Cadillac and Corvette from DaimlerChrysler, where he was retail marketing director.