John Lalor

MANHEIM Australia has announced the appointment of John Lalor to the newly created position of head of product for its Inventory Solutions division.

Mr Lalor has worked for Manheim since 2008, joining as manager of online content and subsequently working in a variety of other senior product roles.

The company said Mr Lalor has managed a large range of products over the years, ranging from the Manheim website to its vehicle information management system (VIMS), while most recently he was responsible for developing, launching and running its RealVal valuation tool.

In his new role, Mr Lalor reports directly to Inventory Solutions chief executive Charles Cumming and becomes a member of the Manheim executive leadership team.

“John is extremely well placed to take the product team to the next level, having gained a comprehensive understanding of the business, the market and Manheim’s customers,” the company said in a statement.

“During his time running the product team he launched the project to redevelop the VIMS platform and is overseeing the delivery of a number of exciting technology and data products that will be launched to the market this year.

“With a solid background in building successful technology products and with his knowledge of the Manheim business, John is looking forward to establishing a product pipeline that will deliver products to help buyers and sellers do more business with Manheim.

“He has also developed relationships with key members of our Cox Automotive business both locally and internationally and is excited about the collaboration opportunities with these businesses.”

Earlier in his career, Mr Lalor worked for Glass’s Information Services Australia for five years in various capacities including research analyst, strategic analyst and product manager.

He also has experience as a product manager with Alpine Electronics, managing car audio products, and had a stint as distribution and channel manager for Ausway Publishing, which is best known for the Melway street directory.

By Terry Martin