Aussie replacement for injured Audi Oz chief

Audi has appointed Australian Andrew Doyle as managing director of its local operations, effective from March 1.

The move follows the departure of Uwe Hagen, who returned home to Germany on January 15 to recover from major injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident.

Mr Doyle leaves his role as the director of Audi in Ireland, a position he has held since January 2011, prior to which he was General Sales Manager at Audi Australia between July 2005 and December 2010.

Mr Hagen became Audi Australia chief in early 2010 and continued the company's strong double-digit growth during 2010 and 2011, although 2012 was a lean year with sales up by just 0.2 per cent.

Motoring.com.au understands Mr Hagen broke both legs, his collar bone and several ribs in the accident – leaving him temporarily wheelchair-bound – that occurred while riding a BMW motorcycle with his son in Tasmania.

This isn't the first time the managing director of an Australian automotive importer has been seriously injured in a motorcycle accident.

In 2003 Chrysler Jeep Australia chief Gerry Jenkins had to have his leg amputated after his Yamaha R1 motorcycle collided head-on with a Toyota LandCruiser in country Victoria.

The appointment of a new Audi Australia MD rounds follows the recent movement of several other senior executives at BMW, Holden, Skoda, Hyundai, Mitsubishi and Honda.

Hyundai Motor Company Australia Chief Executive Edward Lee has been promoted to head of the company’s international sales division in South Korea and will be replaced by fellow Korean Chul-hwan (Charlie) Kim, who was head of Hyundai’s overseas marketing group.

Also at HMCA, former GM Holden Executive Director of Sales, Marketing and Aftersales John Elsworth resigned after 22 years at the company before defecting to the newly created position of COO at Hyundai’s local subsidiary.

Meantime, two long-standing Australian executives at Honda Australia and Mitsubishi Motors Australia have also departed.

Lindsay Smalley was a Honda Australia veteran, spending 23 years at the company - most recently as senior director - and was also the automotive importers’ representative at the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries.

Paul Stevenson also worked for more than 20 years at Mitsubishi - most recently as vice-president of corporate strategy - while Skoda Australia director Matthew Wiesner has been replaced by Michael Irmer.

In other significant automotive industry staff movements announced this month, BMW Australia and New Zealand is looking for a new Head of Corporate Communications after Piers Scott accepted a similar role at BMW Group UK.

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