Switch point: Michael Winkler has moved from high-level positions with OEMs in Australia and overseas to the retail side of the automotive industry, joining Zagame Automotive as its new chief executive.

EXPERIENCED global car industry executive Michael Winkler has joined Zagame Automotive as chief executive – a newly created position that sees the former head of Jaguar Land Rover and Porsche in Australia overseeing the prestige automotive retail group’s expanding operations.

As GoAuto reported exclusively in June, Mr Winkler had been preparing to return permanently to Australia and was considering his next move in the local automotive industry after spending the past two years as president and CEO of Bentley Motors Inc in the United States, responsible for Bentley’s operations in North and South America.

Mr Winkler revealed at the time that the automotive industry and premium marques in particular remained his primary focus, although he indicated that the next move might not be with a factory or distribution operation but “something smaller”.

He has now confirmed to GoAuto that he has taken on a fresh challenge at Zagame Automotive, which has more than 25 dealerships and parts and service centres in its stable and, under the leadership of Zagame Group managing director Bobby Zagame, has been investing heavily in new ventures and facilities such as the recently opened Rolls-Royce dealership in Melbourne – one of the biggest showrooms in the world for the British luxury brand.

“You would have observed the business growing over the years, and it’s very much a tightly run and very successful family business with that culture,” said Mr Winkler, whose initial focus is on implementing new processes and setting the business up for further growth.

Bobby Zagame

“That’s really want the intent is. There’s nothing that is going to fundamentally shift in the way that this company is going to do business, because what makes it successful is the very hands-on family approach that comes out of a hospitality background – understanding how to really build relationships with people – and we are going to keep all of that intact.

“I like to think that it’s along the lines also of … what we managed to do when at Porsche we took over the Hamilton’s organisation. We maintained that family feel there as well.”

As well as Rolls-Royce, Zagame Automotive is the sole Victorian retailer for Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini, Aston Martin and McLaren.

It holds various other franchises including Alfa Romeo – in which it invested $2 million into a new flagship dealership in Melbourne that opened late last year as the Italian brand relaunches as a premium brand in Australia – Fiat/Abarth, Audi, Morgan and Lotus, the latter also opening a new Melbourne showroom in recent weeks.

It runs a ‘Zagame Autosport’ division to cater for motorsport enthusiasts, and over the past two years has redeveloped the former Fairfax newspaper printing plant near Melbourne’s Tullamarine airport into a parts, storage and pre-delivery outlet for the company’s dealerships.

The managing director of each of its franchises and heads of other automotive operations all now report to Mr Winkler.

As GoAuto has reported, Mr Winkler relocated from Australia to the US in 2015 to lead Bentley’s operations in North and South America – its single biggest market – after spending about a year as managing director of Jaguar Land Rover Australia and previously serving for more than 18 years as head of Porsche Cars Australia.

By Terry Martin

Winkler