Group Head of Aftersales Position for Seasoned Professional

Williams Group has appointed Dale Bland as Group Head of Aftersales, representing premium automotive brands BMW, MINI, Jaguar, Land Rover and BMW Motorrad.

Bland, who has over 19 years’ experience in the automotive industry, joins from Marshall Motor Group where he was a Head for Business for Mercedes. Prior to his role at Marshalls, Bland held senior positions with Inchcape as an Aftersales and Regional Director and with the Thompson Motor Company as Franchise Director. Bland’s role at Williams Group will see him leading the aftersales functions across Williams to ensure premium service levels are maintained and prepare the business for the changes in aftersales that electrification will bring.

Guy Adams Managing Director of Williams Group, said: “We welcome Dale to the team and look forward to his contribution. He clearly understands our values and customer focus which have come into sharp relief during the pandemic. We continue to invest in offering the highest levels of service to our customers and Dale will be instrumental in leading the team that makes the Williams difference.”

The luxury automotive retailer is chalking up 112 years as a family-owned business having started out on Deansgate in Manchester in 1909 as Williams Wheelwright Works and has evolved into one of the North West’s leading providers of prestige automotive brands. The group now occupies its premium location adjacent to the Trafford Centre after their recent £42m investment in 2019 and also operates retail centres and service facilities in Bolton, Liverpool, Stockport, and Rochdale with over 750 staff across the group.

The 14-acre Trafford City site with spacious workshops and 72 bays for servicing vehicles, offers a step-change in automotive retailing for the region with its world-class facilities. In a first for Williams, Jaguar and Land Rover are featured together under one roof and have SV (Special Vehicle) enhanced status – a specialism which means the passionate and highly trained team can offer the option for customers to personalise selected Jaguar and Land Rover models to their exacting requirements. The Williams Trafford City site features the largest BMW centre in the North West offering a first-class service with drive through facilities.

The group recently made a number of enhancements to ensure their customers could receive the high standard of service they expect from Williams whilst remaining safe during the pandemic. The family firm introduced a socially distanced personal concierge service with dedicated lanes allowing customers to drop off their cars for servicing and seamlessly collect a courtesy car. In addition, the company adapted their website to allow for the purchasing experience to be completed online with the introduction of their new click and collect service. The digital platform at www.williamsgroup.co.uk was created to offer the purchase of new and approved used vehicles with just a few clicks with options of home delivery or collecting from a personal bay in the retail centres.