Personnel Articles ,

Key position: As head of network development, Tony Hutton will continue the rollout of Hyundai’s GDSI (Global Dealership Space Identity) program and will “focus on lifting dealer performance and profitability”.

HYUNDAI Motor Company Australia (HMCA) has appointed Tony Hutton as its new general manager of network development, filling the position made vacant when former chief Phil Dingle left the company at the end of last year.

Mr Hutton has served for almost six years as HMCA’s general manager of customer experience and aftersales, joining the company in 2013 from Jaguar Land Rover, where he had spent two years as customer service manager for the Asia-Pacific region.

Earlier in his career, Mr Hutton spent two years as a managing consultant for the automotive industry with Deloitte Australia, a further eight years with Mazda Australia as dealer business manager and more than five years with Jaguar as national service manager.

His latest move comes as HMCA continues to restructure its business, particularly in the ‘customer experience’ (CX) division under former marketing director Oliver Mann, who was reassigned to the newly created position as director of CX at the start of this year.

This division covers network development, aftersales, CRM and customer experience and a newly defined department known as business planning and CX innovation.

As Mr Hutton heads up network development, aftersales is now the responsibility of Peter Neal, who becomes general manager of aftersales in charge of four main areas: aftersales sales and marketing, customer care, technical support and training, and warranty.

Peter Neal

Mr Neal has worked for HMCA for more than 14 years, starting as regional service manager in 2005 and stepping up to his most recent position, senior manager of national service, in 2010.

He brings considerable experience to the role, not only with Hyundai but other car companies including MG Rover Australia (national service and operations manager), Daewoo Automotive Australia (national service/technical manager) and Nissan Australia (national technical trainer).

He also had a stint with insurance company AAMI, where he worked as a branch operations manager in Sydney.

Explaining the latest moves, Mr Mann said that, from an organisational perspective, “the goal has been to maximise the alignment and operational efficiency of the CX group while providing a stronger focus on new business development”.

“In the aftersales service area, the opportunity has been taken to integrate the aftersales sales and marketing and customer-care functions with the technical support/training and warranty operations, as well as HMCA’s workshop, into a single aftersales operations department,” he said.

“Peter Neal will lead this expanded business unit, which will harmonise dealer and customer support systems and activities, and improve customer support.

Paul Jenzen

“The network development department, now led by Tony Hutton, will continue the rollout of the GDSI (Global Dealership Space Identity) dealership program, maintain effective retail representation to support Hyundai business goals and provide an added focus on lifting dealer performance and profitability.”

Mr Mann said HMCA’s CX senior manager, Paul Jenzen, will now lead the CRM and customer experience team, taking responsibility for “measuring and improving customers’ experience through the sales and aftersales channels, building customer conversion and retention, and leading digital transformation across HMCA”.

Mr Jenzen has served as senior manager of customer experience for the past five years, having earlier served for almost five years as senior manager of service marketing and programs.

He previously spent nine years with Volkswagen Group Australia in various positions including area sales manager (Queensland/NT), corporate accounts manager and customer relationship and service marketing roles, and also spent about three years with Honda Australia in the service organisation.

Mr Mann also said that Nick Vasilevski, who was previously senior manager of network business and profitability, would lead the newly created CX innovation and business planning department as senior manager “to provide a stronger focus on business development”.

“As well as business and budget planning, this team will develop connected digital and mobility services (eg Auto Link), lead eco-vehicle market development and develop new revenue streams and business opportunities,” Mr Mann said.

Nick Vasilevski

As GoAuto has reported, Hyundai’s senior management ranks have changed considerably in recent months, with general manager of the company’s fledgling Genesis brand, Peter Evans, leaving in April, while HMCA chief operating officer Scott Grant departed towards the end of January to become COO of Cricket Australia.

Replacements for Mr Grant and Mr Evans are still to be announced.

The reorganisation of the CX operations with Mr Mann at the helm occurred earlier in January and saw general manager of external affairs Bill Thomas become marketing director – with continuing oversight of the public relations department, which is managed by Guido Schenken – and general manager of sales Giles Belcher become director of sales, which makes him responsible for the entire sales function including regional operations.

By Terry Martin

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