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He’s back: Former Toyota Australia president Dave Buttner has come out of retirement to take the reins at Holden in an effort to reverse its sales slide.

GENERAL Motors has pulled an unprecedented move by appointing former Toyota Australia president Dave Buttner as chairman and managing director of its GM Holden division.

The highly regarded 40-year veteran of the Australian motor industry will replace current MD Mark Bernhard when he retires at the end of the month.

Mr Buttner, who retired from Toyota at the end of last year after the closure of the Japanese giant’s Australian manufacturing operations in October, becomes the first non-GM appointment at the helm of Holden in living memory.

Starting his career at Ford Australia before switching to Toyota in 1987, Mr Buttner will be charged with reversing Holden’s dramatic sales decline of the past several years – a fall that has angered the dealer network.

The appointment is the latest in a string of high-profile changes at Holden in recent months, with Holden New Zealand managing director Kristian Aquilina being swung back to Australia to head up Holden marketing and veteran Peter Keley being returned as executive director of sales.

The moves all point to a return to sales and marketing basics at Holden, with executives who know the market intimately.

Announcing the shock appointment, GM International president Barry Engle said the leadership transition comes as Holden seeks to leverage its strongest-ever vehicle portfolio to win more customers and grow sales.

“Dave’s proven track record and understanding of Holden’s markets – and the company’s potential in those markets – makes him the right leader for this next phase in the evolution of the business,” he said.

“GM’s most senior leadership strongly believe that we have a rare jewel in Holden, an iconic Australian brand that understands the needs of Australian and New Zealand drivers.

“Dave’s mandate is to work closely with our dealer network to win more customers for life, grow Holden’s market share and ensure our business is strong and profitable for the long term.

“Holden has all the building blocks for future success, including the best and most comprehensive vehicle portfolio in Holden’s history; the introduction of Maven, OnStar and GM Financial; and the ongoing global Design and Engineering work that continues in Australia.

“Dave is an outstanding leader with a peerless record of success in Australia and New Zealand. Holden will have a strong future under Dave’s leadership.”

Mr Buttner, who appeared to be headed for a quiet retirement when he handed the Toyota reins to replacement Matthew Callachor at the end of 2017, said he was “honoured and energised by this incredible opportunity to lead Holden, a company which is part of the fabric of our country”.

Mark Bernhard

“I look forward to working with our people, our dealers and our partners to grow our business and get more and more Australian and New Zealand drivers behind the wheel of more and more Holdens.”

Originally a manufacturing specialist, Mr Buttner proved a dab hand in sales and marketing too, helping to guide Toyota to number one in the Australian market.

It is not lost on GM that Mr Buttner built a strong partnership with Toyota dealers who have responded in kind by helping to drive the Japanese brand to a dominant market position.

He also laid the groundwork for life after manufacturing for the Japanese company in Australia. While Toyota has hardly missed a beat since closing its Altona factory, Holden has struggled to find its feet as an importer, with sales plummeting 22.6 per cent so far this year, on top of a 4.2 per cent decline last year.

The new imported ZB Commodore has been largely shunned by loyal Holden owners who loved their locally-built rear-wheel-drive sedans, especially those with V8 engines.

In recent weeks, Holden has changed tack on advertising for the Commodore and other imported models.

Australian-born Mr Bernhard was the seventh managing director for Holden in 10 years when he was appointed company MD in 2015.

Originating in Holden finance, Mr Bernhard was a career bean counter with spells for GM in Switzerland, Singapore, the United States and China before coming back to Australia 2007 as Holden chief financial officer and executive director of finance.

Mr Engles praised Mr Bernhard’s contribution to Holden, saying: “As Mark hands over the reins of Holden, I want to recognise all of his contributions over his career at GM.

“I appreciate his passion and commitment to Holden during his tenure as Chairman and Managing Director and throughout his career.”

Mr Bernhard said the opportunity to lead the company where he began his career in 1986 had been a privilege.

“Holden is where it all started for me,” he said. “It has been an honour to lead Holden as we laid the foundation for a new future of this iconic Australian company.

“I am grateful to GM and the terrific people I have worked with through a career that spanned Australia, Europe, the US, Singapore and China – exceeding my wildest dreams when I joined the company as a fresh-faced eager graduate.

“Holden was born here and has a special place in our hearts. I wish Dave and his team every success for the future.”

By Ron Hammerton

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