Brian Fellowes

INDUSTRY veteran Brian Fellowes has been appointed director in charge of training and dealer performance at KPMG Motor Industry Services.

Mr Fellowes has more than 30 years’ experience in the industry starting as an apprentice mechanic to becoming the general manager of BMW Sydney – one of Australia’s largest luxury dealerships.

His long association with BMW commenced when he learned the fundamentals of car retailing from the great John Trivett in Church Street from 1984 to 1988.  When John Trivett sold to Ian Pageant, Mr Fellowes joined John Newell at Bass Hill as general sales manager. John Newell had the BMW, Porsche, Honda and Saab franchises.  

In 1991 when Mr Newell closed Bass Hill and Mr Fellowes was earmarked for Newell’s Mazda in the city, Ron Meatchem, the indefatigable boss of BMW Australia, told him there was a job for him at BMW Sydney which turned out to be the first “corporate diplomatic sales manager” role in Australia.

At BMW Sydney Mr Fellowes rose to general manager – sales. He left in 1999 and bought a business importing car accessories, Fendertrim Australia, which remains in his family today.

In 2003 he was asked to go to York Motors on assignment and in 2004 he set up an automotive business consultancy in which he worked with Paddy O’Brien at the Sewells group, developed a global training program for Kia Motors in Korea as well as work for the Ford Academy, Nissan Learning Academy, GM College in addition to regular dealership assignments.    

In 2013 he joined Deloitte Motor Industry Services as director of consulting and training working with clients on automotive financial and operational strategies as well as business plan and sales strategy development.

He has Advanced Diplomas in Leadership and Business Management and told GoAutoNews Premium that the establishment of advanced diploma courses for line managers and above was to be a focus for him at KPMG.

Wayne Pearson, the national leader of KPMG Motor Industry Services said:  “Brian is an enormous addition to our growing team and I’m excited to have him on board. Brian and I have worked together many times over the past 25 years.

“In his own consultancy Brian helped me re-engineer my showroom processes in my own dealerships. Brian was instrumental in the growth in volume, gross and CSI we had in our dealerships.”

Mr Fellowes will be based at KPMG’s Parramatta office.

By John Mellor