Business advisory firm Cooper Parry has reaffirmed its commitment to the UK automotive sector with the appointment of Ian McMahon (pictured) as its new head of automotive.
The move comes as the firm ramps up support for automotive retailers, suppliers and investors.
McMahon joined Cooper Parry from UHY Hacker Young Manchester and will lead new initiatives to help businesses adapt to the accelerating pace of change across retail, regulation and electrification.
The announcement coincides with the launch of a new suite of digital resources from Cooper Parry’s automotive team, including short-form video content, live webinars and sector-focused insight reports.
Automotive M&A and transformation in focus
The firm reports strong and sustained merger and acquisition (M&A) activity across the sector, driven by strategic buyers targeting scale and differentiation through acquisition.
Businesses with robust fundamentals, technological capability and clarity of direction are attracting growing interest from investors.
However, Cooper Parry’s review of 2024 notes that uncertainty around the agency model, cost pressures and limited policy clarity around EV adoption created headwinds.
Many franchise operators paused expansion or restructured their business models in response to changing OEM strategies.
The report also cites growing concern around the UK’s competitiveness for EV production, with manufacturers continuing to seek clearer government support around ZEV mandates and industrial investment.
McMahon said “We’re not just here for the transactions – we support businesses across the full lifecycle, from start-up and scale-up to compliance, succession planning and exit.”