LEADING automotive solutions company Op2ma has launched a new division that extends the customer experience and research services it offers to OEMs and dealers across Australia and the Asian region.

Heading the new Op2ma CX+ department is Ian McLean, who was previously running the company’s performance consulting division and has more than 30 years’ local and international industry experience behind him.

Op2ma is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fusion Business Solutions and is Australia’s leading provider of F&I solutions, consulting and customer engagement to the automotive industry.

Op2ma managing director Marc Brien said the new CX+ division is designed to provide a “one-stop-shop” of customer experience and research solutions to its client base, extending the company’s solution mix – including CSI, mystery shopping and product consumer research – to help its clients maximise digital leads.

“The automotive landscape is a complicated place for all stakeholders,” Mr Brien said.

“The name CX+ refers to ‘more than just customer experience’. So our new division will help clients solve these challenges in a more digitally complex business environment.”

Mr Brien said that, historically, a client such as an OEM might engage an agency to conduct product research, another for mystery shopping, another for CSI and yet another for customer calls.

“Our new CX+ division will allow clients to use one supplier to execute multiple CX-type strategies, leveraging cost, quality and speed,” he said.

Mr McLean brings considerable experience across automotive OEMs, financial services and the retail sector to the new position.

This includes some 13 years with Ford Australia in a wide variety of senior sales and marketing roles both at a national and regional level, as well as a stint as WA state manager for Ford Credit.

He subsequently joined Renault Australia as national marketing manager, playing a key role in the French brand’s relaunch in this market in 2001, and after five years moved to the Fiji Islands to become CEO/country head of Toyota’s sole dealer and distributor there, Toyota Tsusho (South Sea) Limited, which trades as Asco Motors Fiji.

Mr McLean later served as CEO of India’s second-largest Toyota dealer group, Lanson Toyota, and, upon returning to Australia in 2012, held a number of leadership roles at automotive retailers including general manager of Silverstone Volvo in Melbourne, CEO of the Sydney-headquartered Australian Automotive Group and general manager of Claridge Holden in Adelaide.

He also had another posting overseas as general manager of Capital Automotive in Myanmar, the South-East Asian country’s authorised Jaguar Land Rover dealer/distributor, before returning Down Under to join Op2ma in July 2018.

Op2ma’s projects have spanned Australia, New Zealand and many Asian countries including India and China, so Mr McLean’s experience throughout the region is particularly relevant.

Beyond its Adelaide headquarters, the company has offices in Melbourne, Sydney and Shanghai, and its client base now extends to more than 15 international markets.

Mr McLean’s replacement as head of the performance consulting division is Mark Simpson, another experienced executive who has also held senior industry positions including national marketing manager (commercial vehicles) and general manager of dealer development for Volkswagen Group Australia, and national sales and dealer development manager for Peugeot Concessionaires Australia.

He also worked for Deloitte Motor Industry Services as a client director before moving into automotive business coaching, consulting and training.

By Terry Martin