Former Vauxhall boss Stephen Norman, who in three years as managing director of the firm restored the company to profitability, is retiring after a career spanning 45 years in the automotive industry.
Norman became senior vice president of sales, aftersales and marketing of Vauxhall-Opel worldwide last year, with former Nissan executive Paul Willcox taking over his position as director at the Stellantis-owned firm.
He will be succeeded in his current role by Florian Huettl, who currently heads up sales and marketing for European markets, specifically.
“I am really looking forward to working with Florian Huettl who is a sales and marketing expert with strong international experience. Together, we will continue to strengthen the Opel and Vauxhall brands and our business,” said Opel CEO Uwe Hochgeschurtz.
“Steve’s experience in automotive sales and marketing is second to none. On behalf of the entire Opel team, I would like to thank him cordially for all his invaluable contribution – especially in terms of profiling the brand, driving our internationalisation and market share growth.”
Starting out as a trainee at British Leyland, Norman spent more than seven years as marketing director at Rover France, before an eight-year stint in several senior management positions at Volkswagen.
The industry veteran went on to work in senior marketing positions at Fiat and the Renault Group, before moving to PSA, eventually spearheading Vauxhall-Opel's sales and marketing operations under its new Stellantis ownership.
Named as an Autocar outstanding UK leader in 2020, Norman helped propel Vauxhall’s business back to profitability after 20 years of losses, all during the Covid-19 pandemic.
He devised a five-point plan to help restore the firm back to sales success and sustainable profit, which included boosting sales of light commercial vehicles and backing off pre-registrations to avoid cutting margins.
His plan also involved refranchising the Vauxhall retailer network from 330 to 250 dealerships, reorganising parts distribution and improving the firm’s brand strength. In addition, he oversaw Vauxhall’s emphasis on its ‘Britishness’.
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MArtin, well at least they do make cars and or vans in the UK, Polestar don't make cars in Sweden and are ultimately under Chinese ownership but the press have to mention Sewedish things at least twice in every article. Ditto Volvo, but at least that Geely brand make some cars in Sweden
In recent years, most of their products have just been re-badged Opels. I will not mourn the eventual demise of this brand. I do, however, feel sorry for the British workers who worked for Vauxhall and lost their jobs. It is, at least, some consolation that the Ellesmere Port plant is staying open, albeit for the production of electric vans.
Anyone who buys a Vauxhall nowadays thinking they are buying a British car are as naive as Australians who buy a Holden thinking they are buying an Australian car.
Vauxhall is as much British as MG , the did not return it to profit he cut out the dead wood. Vauxhall could be a much better brand than it is. In many common wealth nation the vsuxhall brand still carries some credit. As it was seen as a better product to opel.
However those days are long gone with little to zero presence outside the UK vauxhall stand no chance its be one a budget cast off brand with less position internationally than Dacia.
Stelantis could have had its skoda if vauxhall had been allowed to be developed separate to Opel. But with a British government that will never stand buybit manufacturers it never stood a chance. When it came to job losses it was the uk that lost out not the more expensive less productive German plants. Why because Germany will give money to keep its people employed.
The dealer network was to big it had nothing to sell with less models than skoda vauxhall is a dead brand
Electric vauxhall , it could have been a European tesla for the people but no.
Stelantis as a huge amount of brands to choose from. With fiat alfa romeo jeep citroen ds opel chrysler maserati Lancia and Peugeot all looking for a place vauxhall a one nation brand that never been given a chance to develop.. GM destroyed the vauxhall brand when they merged it with Opel. Opel removed vauxhall branding across the common wealth and replaced it with opel but the German brand was hated by new nation of the former British empire. People like there tough boxy vauxhall cars. Vauxhall is just a badge put on a Peugeot today. Even going Electric has been half hearted. 9nce again our government mist the boat. They should have invited psa to develop vauxhall as the peoples Electric brand., Once again the tories anti French and factory worker stances has left the uk as a second rate importer of products.
Now top sell ev are former British brands owned by French ( vauxhall corsa)mand Chinese (mg zs) what a sorry state we are . Political leader more interested in themselves than the nation.