A former Honda boss has joined BYD to lead its sales growth plans, following GWM’s poaching of Hyundai Australia’s COO earlier this year.
BYD is the latest Chinese car brand in Australia to recruit a former executive from a major marque, signalling its commitment to the local car market and intent to become a household name.
Stephen Collins has been confirmed as BYD Australia’s new Chief Operating Officer, taking the reins as the brand transitions away from EVDirect as its local distributor to a fully factory-backed operation.
Collins led Honda Australia for a decade before stepping down in late 2022, less than 18 months after the Japanese marque moved to a fixed-price sales model, slashed its line-up, and increased RRPs on new models without room to negotiate, leading to a decline in sales.
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Before the fixed-price ‘agency’ model was rolled out in mid-2021, Honda Australia was a Top 10 best-selling brand, notching 43,868 deliveries in 2019 for ninth position ahead of Holden.
However, the plan to adopt the controversial sales model, which also led to a smaller dealer footprint, would cut sales to 20,000 per annum, a more “sustainable” target Honda said at the time.
Last year, Honda reported 14,092 vehicles as sold.
Prior to Honda, Collins also worked at Nissan Australia.
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“The transition to fully factory backed distribution offers a unique opportunity to help shape the future of automotive innovation in Australia,” Collins said in a media statement following his BYD appointment.
“With BYD’s global foundation, I’m looking forward to driving long-term growth that results in more Australians experiencing BYD’s cutting-edge technology and commitment to redefining value.”
In addition to Collins, Kate Hornstein also moved across from EVDirect to BYD Australia as Chief Marketing Officer.
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“Our team is growing and we think that’s only going to enhance the customer experience for anyone considering a BYD vehicle,” said BYD Australia General Manager, Wing You, said in a media statement.
Outside BYD, compatriot Chinese-brand GWM also recruited former Hyundai Australia boss John Kett to take over as Chief Operating Officer earlier this year to oversee its Australian and New Zealand businesses.
Kett was Hyundai Australia’s Chief Operating Officer for five and a half years before the move, and spearheaded the South Korean brand’s push into electrification with models like the Ioniq 5 electric car and Santa Fe Hybrid.
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Last year, Hyundai reported 71,664 sales for sixth place in the Australian market, while GWM was in 10th position with 42,782 vehicles reported as sold.
This year, however, after five months of trading, Hyundai has sold 30,541 vehicles (up 3.4 per cent) according to VFACTS data, while GWM is up 13.7 per cent to 19,725 deliveries.
Both BYD and GWM have ambitions to carve out a bigger share of the Australian market, and will likely look to conquest sales from established brands like Toyota, Mazda, Ford, and others.
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