Step forward: Brad Cramb is charged with ensuring “continued, sustainable” growth for Audi, which has had 12 years of consecutive annual sales increases but is currently struggling to maintain that unbroken run this year.

FORMER Toyota Australia chief marketing officer Brad Cramb has resurfaced at Audi Australia as its new director of sales, four months after resigning from the market-leading Japanese brand.

Mr Cramb was among a large number of executives who elected not to relocate from Sydney to Melbourne as part of the corporate consolidation underway at Toyota as it prepares to close its car manufacturing operations in October and become solely a national sales, marketing and distribution company.

Others who will leave the company at the end of this year include chairman Max Yasuda, president Dave Buttner, executive director of sales and marketing Tony Cramb (Brad Cramb’s brother), executive director of manufacturing and purchasing Chris Harrod and Lexus Australia chief executive Peter McGregor.

Brad Cramb left the company in February, with Toyota Australia saying at the time that his departure – after 22 years of service – provided a “smooth transition” for his successor, Wayne Gabriel, in the lead-up to the manufacturing closure.

Mr Cramb, whose appointment at Audi is effective immediately, served for almost four years as chief marketing officer at Toyota Australia.

He previously managed the company’s northern region (Queensland and northern New South Wales), and prior to that served in a variety of positions including corporate manager of franchise development, corporate manager of retail development, national launch manager, dealership business manager and strategic planning manager.

He also undertook assignments at Toyota headquarters in Japan.

At Audi Australia, Mr Cramb fills the vacancy created earlier this year when general manager of sales Scott Maynard left the company after 12 years to become Jaguar Land Rover Australia’s new customer service director.

Audi said in a statement that Mr Cramb will be responsible “for the continued, sustainable growth of the Audi brand and its national dealer network, across all sales disciplines”.

He joins the German prestige brand at a time of change, with newly appointed managing director Paul Sansom taking the reins only recently.

After an incredible run of sales growth in Australia – 12 consecutive years to last year, when it delivered 24,258 vehicles – Audi’s sales this year have fallen 13.5 per cent to the end of May, compared to the same period last year.

By Terry Martin