Eddie Hawthorne to step down as Arnold Clark chief govt

After 27 years on the helm of prime 10 AM100 group Arnold Clark, Eddie Hawthorne is to step down as chief govt and group managing director on 28 March.

Russell Borrie, the corporate’s present chief working officer, has been appointed as his successor.

“It’s been a privilege to steer Arnold Clark for such a protracted time frame,” Hawthorne mentioned.

“I’m extremely happy with what we’ve achieved and of our staff, who’ve proven resilience and dedication by means of some difficult years. I’ve full confidence within the management workforce to proceed steering the enterprise in the correct path.”

Borrie, who will formally take over as chief govt, expressed his gratitude for Hawthorne’s management and the belief positioned in him by the board.

“Eddie’s imaginative and prescient, perception, and dedication have been instrumental in our success,” Borrie mentioned. “Even in troublesome occasions, his capability to show challenges into alternatives has strengthened the enterprise. I’m honoured to tackle this position and lead Arnold Clark into the long run.”

Borrie will probably be supported by John Clark, chief business officer, and David Cooper, chief monetary officer, as the corporate strikes ahead underneath its new management construction.

Whereas stepping away from his govt position, Hawthorne will stay on the principle board in a mentoring and oversight capability.

His management has been pivotal in shaping Arnold Clark into one of many UK’s largest and most profitable automotive retailers.

In 2017, following the loss of life of Sir Arnold Clark, Hawthorne advised Automotive Administration about how he got here to affix the motor retail business and the way he skilled Sir Arnold’s willingness to strike a fast deal early on.

“I bear in mind the primary time we met. I used to be a fresh-faced, non-grey-haired worker of the enterprise’s official auditor 30 years in the past. On the day I completed, he mentioned ‘I’ll see you subsequent yr’. I mentioned ‘no you received’t, I’m trying to get out of the occupation and into business’. He mentioned ‘come and work for me’.

“He handled me proper there, on the spot. After 20 minutes, I used to be working for Arnold Clark.”

With 12,000 staff, Arnold Clark is without doubt one of the UK’s most influential motor teams. Underneath Hawthorne’s management, Arnold Clark has solidified its place as an enormous within the UK automotive retail sector. A constant power within the AM100 rankings, the corporate secured the second spot within the newest rankings, boasting a formidable £366.1 million in earnings and a turnover of £4.92 billion, meriting the standing because the UK’s most worthwhile automotive supplier group.

A relentless pursuit of development has outlined Hawthorne’s tenure with strategic acquisitions pivotal to the dealership group’s success.

December 2024 noticed a number of formidable offers. That month, Arnold Clark expanded its Renault and Dacia footprint by buying dealerships in Birkenhead and Liverpool to strengthen its nationwide presence with the addition of 17 key gross sales factors along with buying Wingrove Motor Firm, a family-run enterprise with a 99-year legacy within the North East. The identical month noticed the corporate announce an unique partnership with Corvette, introducing right-hand drive fashions tailor-made for the UK market.

With over 200 dealerships representing greater than 25 producers, Hawthorne has constructed a dealership titan that right this moment affords over 20,000 automobiles in inventory at anyone time.