Industry jobs: Roles filled at Volkswagen, Oxa, Durite, Assurant and CoolKit

David Hanna leaves VWCV for role at Volkswagen UK

Volkswagen has appointed David Hanna as head of network sales after holding several senior roles at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles (VWCV).

He started his career with Volkswagen Group UK in 2014 as the national fleet sales manager for Audi, before joining VWCV in 2017.

He subsequently held the positions of head of fleet, head of aftersales and head of sales operations, before taking on the important business transformation role of head of direct sales.

Over the past five years at VWCV, the manufacturer said he had contributed to strong commercial results as well as driving forwards important new business projects.

Hanna said: “Volkswagen is at a transformative stage in its history, firmly on its way to an electric future with the ever-growing ID range of battery electric vehicles, as well as adapting to rapidly evolving customer expectations.”

Hanna replaces James Douglas who, after more than 10 successful years at Volkswagen Group, leaves on August 31 to join Motability Operations. 

Hanna will start in his new role from September 1, 2023. A replacement for him at VWCV has yet to be announced.

Oxa names new director of strategy and corporate development

A former Ocado Group executive has joined British self-driving software company, Oxa, which recently rebranded from Oxbotica.

Stewart McGuire has been named as the company’s new director of strategy and corporate development. 

In his role, McGuire will work closely with Oxa’s executive leadership team to further develop the company’s strategic plan, ensuring it is aligned with the business's long-term vision and objectives as the organisation prepares to scale and deploy globally.

He will also be responsible for identifying new opportunities for growth. 

Prior to joining Oxa, McGuire led strategy and corporate development for Ocado Group, one of Oxa’s key customers and investors.

During his tenure, he was responsible for the acquisitions of US robotics companies Kindred Systems and Haddington Dynamics for $287 million as well as leading the Series B investment in Oxa (then Oxbotica).

Before Ocado Group, McGuire spent almost 20 years in investment banking, most recently in Equity Research covering the pan-European food retail sector for Credit Suisse. 

Gavin Jackson, CEO at Oxa, said: “As Oxa continues to develop products that enable businesses to unlock the benefits of autonomy, Stewart is bringing a wealth of experience in strategy and corporate development, which will help us accelerate and bring new solutions globally to market.” 

McGuire  added: “Oxa has a world-class team, industry-leading technologies and a strong foundation, which combined has enormous potential.

“We have started delivering the transformative benefits of self-driving technology to businesses today and I look forward to helping Oxa unlock new growth opportunities globally.”

Oxa strengthens executive leadership team

The appointment of McGuire comes as Oxa announced three further appointments to its senior leadership team. 

Graeme Smith (pictured above) has been appointed chief product engineering officer and will be joining the business in August.

He will be responsible for product management, engineering, solutions, programmes and services to deliver Oxa's portfolio of self-driving software products to customers globally.

Oxa recently hired Katy Goldwater as chief people officer. She joined the team in June and is leading Oxa’s people strategy, including recruitment, talent development, and organisational effectiveness.

In addition, the company’s founder and chief technology officer, Professor Paul Newman (pictured above), has been appointed president of Oxa, while also continuing his CTO role in providing the technology and invention that underpins Oxa’s products.

In his new role as president, Newman will help drive the strategic vision of the company. 

Durite appoints Adam Wild to new fleet consultant role

Durite has appointed Adam Wild to the role of fleet consultant to support transport operators and work closely with insurance and industry bodies.

Wild, said Durite, has extensive experience in video and telematics applications and an impressive track record in making fleets safer and more productive.

His expertise embraces operator compliance, transport regulations, industry standards and many years’ close cooperation with dedicated commercial vehicle insurance providers.

Wild said: “Joining Durite was an easy decision. They are highly reputable in the industry and renowned for impeccable customer service and end-to-end support.

“This newly created position will enable us to further provide expert technical and commercial advice to fleet managers while strengthening ties with the transport industry at large.”

Working alongside fleets, insurance companies and industry bodies, Wild will assist in providing optimum vehicle safety and camera monitoring technology to ensure safety, efficiency, sustainability, and compliance for vehicle fleets throughout the UK.

Brian Feeney named Assurant’s new RAC account manager

Brian Feeney has been named as Assurant’s new RAC account manager, looking after the relationship between the two companies in the dealer and aftersales sector.

He will be involved in initiatives such as the RAC Dealer Network, which consists of more than 1,200 used car retailers across the UK offering a range of RAC-branded products created in conjunction with Assurant, notably warranties, and will also look to build on a range of recently-created strategic partnerships.

It is his first role in the motor industry after spending the past 10 years in commercial roles for a range of fast moving consumer goods and technology companies including Configur, Davies Group and Molson Coors.

He will report to Assurant’s RAC client director, Lee Coomber, who said: “Brian has already impressed us with his knowledge, enthusiasm and attitude, and we are sure he will help to maximise the potential of the partnership between the RAC and Assurant, which is very much unique in the dealer and aftersales sectors.”

Assurant is a Fortune 500 company with a presence in 21 countries.

CoolKit appoints marketing executive to bolster growth

CoolKit, a UK specialist in temperature-controlled vans, has appointed Usman Batan to the role of marketing executive as part of its expansion programme.

Earlier this year the Burnley-based company announced a restructuring of its executive team following a record order intake of £20.1 million for 2022.

Usman previously led marketing at another successful East Lancashire company, Star Tissue in Blackburn.

He said: “I am excited to understand the whole landscape of the industry and dealing with every aspect of design, production, operations, and sales. And, then by using my own insights and experience, working out how we are able to market the business to maintain its success and help further its growth.

“One of my main aims will be to keep up with industry trends, consumer needs, what our competitors are doing and what’s happening in the way of opportunities and threats.”