JOHANNESBURG – 2 February 2010 – Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa (FMCSA) has appointed Gavin Golightly as its new National Sales Manager. Golightly replaces Brendan Lyne who has accepted a position in Ford of China as Product Marketing Manager.
“We’d like to thank Brendan for his valuable input into the Mazda business and more recently his assistance with national sales,” says Vice President Marketing, Sales and Service Jacques Brent. “During his time with FMCSA, we have secured increased market share and one of the healthiest dealer networks in the industry. We wish him the very best for his new opportunity within the greater global Ford business.”
Lyne’s successor is no stranger to sales, the industry, nor Ford. Golightly relinquishes his role as National Marketing & Sales Manager for Ford Financial Services to take overall responsibility for FMCSA sales. He was previously a Regional Sales Manager and has an existing working relationship with the dealer network as a result.
“Gavin’s wealth of industry experience at dealer level, in fleet sales, and in financial services made him a natural choice for this important role,” says Brent. “He will certainly have his work cut out for him in these challenging market conditions.”
Golightly has a degree in Business Economics and Industrial Psychology in addition to an honours degree in Marketing. He joined the motor industry in 1985 after a graduate trainee programme at Standard Bank. At VWSA he became a regional manager before joining Ford in 2000 to look after the largest region, which became the company’s most successful. He has headed up the marketing and sales of Ford Financial Services since 2006.
“I’m excited at the challenges that face me,” says Golightly. “Supported by the ONE Ford strategy, 2010 will provide enormous opportunity for our dealers, with one of the freshest ranges of product on the market today and a business approach to successfully see us out of the current economic crisis.”
