Waylands has appointed Jon Head as integrations director for the group to oversee group projects, procurement and system deployments.
Head’s role will play a key part in the group’s plans to streamline its operations and prepare for further expansion. He also joins Wayland’s board of directors as part of his new position.
The business has won AM’s Dealer Group of the Year at the AM Awards six years in a row.
Head was previously group operations director at Marshall Motor Group and worked closely with Wayland chief executive John O’Hanlon and David Newman to build Ridgeway Group, before its acquisition by Marshall in 2016.
On a post on LinkedIn, Head said: “I had the privilege of working alongside John for over nine years during his incredible journey with David Newman building Ridgeway Group -culminating in its acquisition by Marshall in 2016 for £106m.
“I have made no secret of the fact that the Ridgeway days were some of the most enjoyable and rewarding days of my career.
“I have also never hidden the fact that I have always admired John’s leadership, vision, and ability to create high-performing teams.”
Head said his recent consultancy work with Waylands led to conversations with O’Hanlon about the role he could play to grow the business alongside fellow directors James Smullen, Richard Spencer and Dominic Gouldsborough.
Head added: “Lets just say John did an excellent job selling the vision because here I am.
“Waylands is on an exciting growth trajectory, built on the same strong values that defined Ridgeway.
“The emphasis on performance, employee engagement, and a culture of success is evident at every level.
“It’s well understood that happy, engaged teams drive better business outcomes, and it’s inspiring to see how the Waylands board has nurtured an environment where this truly thrives.”
O’Hanlon said having previously worked with Head for many years, he knows how much value he will bring to Waylands.
He said: “We have a clear ambition to continue to grow as a strong regional group, and I know that Jon will be crucial to our future success.”
The appointment follows the promotion of Gouldsborough to sales director and Vicky Hart to head of marketing during 2024.
The group represents Volvo, Polestar, Kia and MG across the South of England with 350 employees across 12 locations.
O’Hanlon has been open about the business’s ambitions to reach £250 million in turnover with the help of existing and new OEM partners such as Polestar with whom it opened a new store in Bristol last year.
O’Hanlon has also said the group was “unashamedly” investing heavily in its car dealership properties.