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Harwoods has announced that Jon Wakefield has stepped down as CEO and will leave the company immediately. Archie Harwood, currently chief transformation officer, will take the role of CEO.
Harwood held this role previously before stepping down in January 2023, to focus on the development of the company’s technology platform.
Ex-Volvo Cars UK MD Wakefield joined Harwoods in January 2023. His appointment was part of a shake-up of the company as it sought to seek scale.
Harwoods is ranked 30 in the Motor Trader Top 200 Dealer Groups with annual turnover of £636.3m and pre-tax profits of £7.8m in the yar to December 2022.
William Fall, chairman of Harwoods, said: “Since the end of Covid, the industry has faced a number of headwinds, including global supply chain challenges, economic uncertainty and changes in the OEMs’ relationship with their dealer networks.
“As for others in our position, the business environment has been challenging and I thank Jon for his leadership during this difficult period and wish him well in his future.
“Archie returns to the CEO role, bringing a deep knowledge of both the company and the industry”.
Harwoods, a family-owned company founded in 1931, represents JLR, Audi, Volvo, INEOS, Bentley, McLaren and Aston Martin, as well as car and truck servicing, repair and maintenance sites, across the south of England.