There can be few more privileges than to be engaged in the success of not just one but two Great British automotive brands. In Sept 2014 I took up an engagement as the Interim CEO of Lotus Cars China. The company was formed as Lotus Engineering Ltd. by engineers Colin Chapman and Colin Dare, both graduates of University College, London, in 1952. The four letters in the middle of the logo stand for the initials of company founder, Anthony Colin Bruce Chapman. Lotus struggled to match its track performance with financial success, and after several owners, in 1996, a majority share in Lotus was sold to Proton, a Malaysian car company listed on the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange. 
In China the company has it's showroom just at north Gongti Stadium, a 5 minutes walk from the Morgan showroom. The opening was attended by Simon Wood, the head of Lotus Asia Pacific. While I was in the UK over the summer Wood, CEO Jean Marc Gales, and Alex Ling VP of Finance, visited the showroom. A conversation ensued with Wood re the services of EASTWEST PR and Eggplant Digital, and one of strategy to drive the agencies. The solution was that I have been engaged as Interim CEO, working alongside my duties as MD of Morgan Cars China. It is a fabulous opportunity to build two companies in different categories (Classic and Sports) - and an interesting challenge to be an owner of one and an employee of another. My goal is to find ways to improve my performance in both companies and the performance of both in China. Enough to get the heart racing!
In China the company has it's showroom just at north Gongti Stadium, a 5 minutes walk from the Morgan showroom. The opening was attended by Simon Wood, the head of Lotus Asia Pacific. While I was in the UK over the summer Wood, CEO Jean Marc Gales, and Alex Ling VP of Finance, visited the showroom. A conversation ensued with Wood re the services of EASTWEST PR and Eggplant Digital, and one of strategy to drive the agencies. The solution was that I have been engaged as Interim CEO, working alongside my duties as MD of Morgan Cars China. It is a fabulous opportunity to build two companies in different categories (Classic and Sports) - and an interesting challenge to be an owner of one and an employee of another. My goal is to find ways to improve my performance in both companies and the performance of both in China. Enough to get the heart racing!