Harris Group has appointed highly experienced commercial vehicle industry professional, Glen Wright, as Dealer Network Development Manager. He will lead the continued expansion and strengthening of the networks behind the Group’s multi-brand UK portfolio, including MAXUS, HIGER and the newly established SINOTRUK truck brand.
Wright’s role is to ensure that Harris Group’s growth – targeting €1 billion in revenues by 2030 – is underpinned by the appropriate network structure, capability and partner relationships. Key to his remit is strengthening Harris Group’s reputation as a responsive, agile and straightforward distributor / partner, that combines deep industry knowledge with the ability to anticipate market needs and respond decisively, without creating unnecessary layers of process or bureaucracy for dealers.
Wright brings more than 40 years’ experience in the automotive industry. Beginning his career with Wallace Arnold in Leeds, he subsequently spent seven years with Bradford-based Charles Sidney, where he was responsible for its rental fleet, before moving to Renault Trucks, where he managed dealer accounts with responsibility for the manufacturer’s dealer operation in Leeds.
In 2000, Wright joined Daimler Chrysler in a business management role, subsequently focusing on Mercedes-Benz trucks and spending the intervening period working across the Mercedes-Benz truck network.
With SINOTRUK now Harris Group’s latest brand partner, Wright will be responsible for creating a full-coverage network of truck dealers capable of supporting the brand’s growth. This will include drawing on the strength and experience of the existing MAXUS and HIGER networks, while identifying strategic new partners to join Harris Group on its own partnership with a proven global truck brand boasting significant international scale and capability.
“This is a fantastic opportunity to take my decades-long experience and quickly implement ideas at ground level, develop our networks and, ultimately, improve the experience for our dealer partners and their customers,” said Glen Wright.
“What attracted me to Harris Group is the way the business operates. It’s ambitious, knowledgeable and fast-paced, with a real willingness to anticipate and respond quickly to market changes. That’s important when working with dealers,” he said, “They want a distributor that understands their business, listens and acts on problems and opportunities. Being straightforward and responsive is fundamental to building successful dealer relations.”
Bill Laidlaw, Chief Operating Officer, added,
“Glen brings exceptional commercial vehicle and dealer network experience to Harris Group. We have significant plans for MAXUS, HIGER and SINOTRUK, and we’re moving quickly. But ambition needs to be matched by knowledge, experience and the ability to act. We’re a distributor that listens, responds and gets things done – upfront and easy for our dealers. Glen’s experience and understanding of dealer relationships make him the ideal person to help us strengthen our networks and build the partnerships we need to support the growth of our brands.”
