Hyundai names new sales chief for Australia

HYUNDAI Motor Co Australia (HMCA) has hired former Holden Special Vehicles managing director and one-time Toyota/Lexus senior executive Scott Grant as sales director, filling the breach in the company’s top management team after Damien Meredith moved to Kia Motors Australia earlier this year.

Mr Grant returns to a high-profile position at a car manufacturer after three years as executive director and CEO of specialist business consultancy Smart Trade International – which has Toyota, Ford and Subaru among its clients – and two-and-a-half years as group general manager of customer support and business development at Komatsu Australia.

Before that Mr Grant was in charge of HSV for 14 months, joining in May 2007 in a high-profile move that was seen as injecting new blood and fresh ideas into the Holden muscle-car outfit.

However, he left unexpectedly at the end of July the following year, just two weeks after launching what was HSV’s most expensive, powerful and ambitious vehicle ever – the $155,500, 375kW 7.0-litre W427.

Mr Grant had previously spent almost two decades with Toyota and affiliate brands, working in a variety of senior positions including divisional general manager for Lexus, export, distribution, company fleet, marketing and parts and logistics.

He also spent around four years with Toyota in the United States as corporate manager of marketing (national advertising).

At Hyundai Mr Grant will report to chief operating officer John Elsworth, resuming a working relationship with Mr Elsworth who was previously head of sales and marketing at Holden before moving to HMCA late in 2012.

Together, they will play a major role in continuing Hyundai’s impressive sales growth in Australia, which has this year seen the brand steam towards 100,000 annual sales and vie for top full-import brand status.

Last month, Hyundai was third on the new-vehicle sales charts behind leading import brand Mazda and perennial market leader Toyota, relegating Holden to fourth position.

Announcing Mr Grant’s appointment this week, HMCA chief executive Charlie Kim said: “I am delighted to welcome such a talented and highly experienced executive to our organisation.

“I have no doubt that Scott will be a driving force in the continuing success of Hyundai in Australia.” Mr Scott will officially join the company on November 10.