VGroup International has restructured its business into five divisions and made a series of new appointments to further strengthen customer service levels and communications with clients.

The restructuring is designed to drive the next phase of expansion, which includes the targeting of new areas of business, with each division focused on individual market sectors served by the company.

Additionally, each division has a manager supported by sales/account executives underpinned by a group customer services department.

The restructuring and appointments, which include long-serving staff moving to new, more clearly defined roles, as well as the recruitment of employees to fill newly created positions, follows the appointment of Mike Wise (pictured) as group sales director.

The divisions and key personnel are:

  • VLease, which provides a range of services to more than 100 UK and European vehicle leasing and fleet management companies including carpet and rubber mats, registration plates and branded safety and valet bags. Head of the division is Justine Hutchins, who joined vGroup International in mid-2017, supported by account executive Laura Clapham.
  • VComms, which provides a national mobile car and van accessory fitment service including the ply-lining of light commercial vehicles. Head of the division is Damian McDaid, supported by new account executive Linda Chambers.
  • Retail, which counts numerous high street retailers among its customers, is led by Yiano Ioannou, who joined vGroup International last year, supported by new recruits Neil Stewart, retail sales manager, and Guy Nicholson, retail sales executive, with long-serving Kalaman Kozomoz taking on the role of e-sales executive as the company seeks further expansion into the online purchasing sector.
  • Dealer, which sees vGroup International servicing the needs of a wide cross-section of dealerships. Dealership sales manager is newly-appointed Gary Treanor with long-time employee Sherrie Jay as dealership sales executive.
  • Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) with responsibility for maintaining and developing relationships with motor manufacturers and importers. Head of OEM is Andrew Paylor, who joined vGroup International, in mid-2017, with long-serving Dom Hardman as OEM account executive.

VGroup International’s group customer services department is led by customer services manager Ryan Godfrey, a long-time member of staff, supported by newly appointed customer sales executive Charlotte Willingale. The department handles customer service issues relating to all five divisions.

Wise said: “There was a requirement for more resources to support customers and greater communication with those customers. Additionally, as an expanding company across all market sectors there was a need to have dedicated staff working in the key areas.

“The restructuring and new appointments enables VGroup International to work more closely with customers delivering added value and to win new business in target areas.”

Growth areas include targeting used car and van dealers and supermarket to include similar motor accessories in vehicles sold as are featured in new vehicles - notably mats, safety kits, first aid kits, travel kits and weather-related kits.

Additionally, the OEM division is to work closely with Middleton Manufacturing, which manufactures car mats and other vehicle accessories and was acquired by VGroup International last year, to seek out opportunities for the production line fitment of motor accessories thus driving business efficiency.

Wise said: “The long-established contract hire and leasing sector was VGroup International’s core market and remains its largest market sector. However, that sector is also changing with significant growth in Personal Contract Purchase and Personal Contract Hire solutions.

“As a result, leasing brokers and franchise dealers and not just well-known contract hire and leasing companies serving the corporate sector are exploiting such growth sectors and the restructuring of VGroup International will make it easier for the company to win new business in that segment.

“Furthermore, more than eight million used cars are sold annually in the UK and it is vital that VGroup International targets that huge sector with its products. That is a key growth area for the Dealer division.”

Wise concluded: “Across the entire new and used car and van market vGroup International is seeking opportunities to grow its business and to deliver to customers both added value and improving business efficiencies.”

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