Dealer Principal
Meet Our Recruiter
About Profile
This candidate is a highly accomplished automotive General Manager and Head of Business with extensive experience leading multi-site and multi-franchise dealership operations across both the UK and Ireland. Their background combines strong commercial leadership with proven expertise in operational turnaround, aftersales growth and high-volume automotive retail performance across both prestige and volume brands.
With full P&L accountability throughout their senior leadership career, they have consistently delivered significant improvements in profitability, efficiency and customer satisfaction across complex dealership operations. Their experience includes overseeing sales, service, parts and fleet operations while implementing business transformation strategies that improved both financial performance and team culture.
A major strength is their ability to lead operational turnaround projects and drive long-term sustainable growth. Throughout their career they have transformed underperforming dealerships through improved KPI management, balanced scorecard implementation, staff development and stronger operational structure. Their leadership style focuses heavily on accountability, communication and creating customer-focused dealership cultures.
They are highly experienced managing large multi-site operations, building strong manufacturer relationships and delivering significant growth across new and used vehicle sales, labour sales and parts performance. Their commercial awareness and strategic approach have consistently delivered improvements in operating profit, customer retention and overall dealership efficiency.
Alongside strong retail automotive leadership experience, they also bring valuable manufacturer-side exposure and expertise across digitalisation, decarbonisation strategies and operational modernisation within evolving automotive markets. Their ability to engage stakeholders, manage union relationships and lead large teams through change demonstrates strong all-round executive leadership capability.
Professional, commercially astute and highly results-driven, they are now looking for a long-term General Manager or Head of Business opportunity within a progressive automotive group where they can continue driving operational excellence, profitability and sustainable growth.
Key Experience & Strengths
General Manager and Head of Business experience
Full dealership P&L accountability
Multi-site and multi-franchise leadership
Operational turnaround and culture change
High-volume new and used vehicle operations
Aftersales growth and profitability improvement
KPI and balanced scorecard implementation
Budget control and margin optimisation
Manufacturer relationship management
Union engagement and stakeholder management
Digitalisation and decarbonisation strategy
Large team leadership and staff development
Full UK driving licence
What They’re Looking For
General Manager or Head of Business role within a professional automotive dealership group
Salary Expectations
£60,000+ basic salary plus bonus
Availability
4 weeks’ notice
Location
Looking for roles within up to 60 minutes of Wigan
This candidate would be a strong addition to any dealership group seeking an experienced automotive leader with exceptional commercial awareness, operational turnaround expertise and a proven track record improving profitability, customer satisfaction and long-term dealership performance.
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