Holden hires ex-Toyota boss

A former Toyota Australia executive has been put in charge of reviving Holden.

Dave Buttner, an architect of Toyota’s Australian sales domination, will replace retiring Mark Bernhard as GM Holden chairman and managing director in August.

Bernhard oversaw the closure of Holden’s manufacturing facilities in Adelaide and will leave the company at its lowest sales ebb in history.

Buttner breaks the mould for leadership appointments at Holden, which have traditionally been sourced from within the global General Motors empire.

He is the second consecutive Australian-born leader for Holden, but only the third in the last 30 years.

Emphasising the difficult post Holden has been in recent times, Buttner will be its seventh boss in 10 years.

“I am honoured and energised by this incredible opportunity to lead Holden, a company which is part of the fabric of our country,” said Buttner in a statement.

“I look forward to working with our people, our dealers and our partners to grow our business and get more and more Australian and New Zealand drivers behind the wheel of more and more Holdens.”

Buttner, who rose to become the first non-Japanese president of Toyota Australia in 2014, was part of a significant management exodus at the company at the end of 2017, following the closure of Toyota’s Australian assembly plant in the Melbourne suburb of Altona and the relocation of its marketing and sales HQ from Sydney to Melbourne.

He started his automotive career at Ford Australia and joined Toyota in 1987. He was part of a management generation tutored by Australian automotive legends John Conomos, Bob Miller and Bob Johnston.

Toyota Australia took the local sales lead from Holden in 2003 and has never relinquished it. Holden, by contrast, has slipped to sixth in the market in 2018 and posted its worst ever monthly sales tallies earlier this year.

A cornerstone of Toyota’s sales domination has been a large and highly regarded dealer network. Holden’s dealer relationship, by contrast, has been strained and troubled as sales have slumped and the network cut.

Unsurprisingly, GM International president Barry Engle alluded to this when explaining Buttner’s appointment.

“Dave’s proven track record and understanding of Holden’s markets – and the company’s potential in those markets – makes him the right leader for this next phase in the evolution of the business,” said Engle.

“GM’s most senior leadership strongly believe that we have a rare jewel in Holden, an iconic Australian brand that understands the needs of Australian and New Zealand drivers.

“Dave’s mandate is to work closely with our dealer network to win more customers for life, grow Holden’s market share and ensure our business is strong and profitable for the long term.

“Holden has all the building blocks for future success, including the best and most comprehensive vehicle portfolio in Holden’s history; the introduction of Maven, OnStar and GM Financial; and the ongoing global Design and Engineering work that continues in Australia.

“Dave is an outstanding leader with a peerless record of success in Australia and New Zealand. Holden will have a strong future under Dave’s leadership.”

Engle also praised Bernhard, a GM lifer who began his career with the company in 1986.

“I want to recognise all of his contributions over his career at GM. I appreciate his passion and commitment to Holden during his tenure as chairman and managing director and throughout his career,” said Engle.