Winners 2024

Marketing 2024

Liz Cope is in charge of the marketing effort of the successful 180-site dealer group that trades under the brand name Bristol Street Motors. Given that Vertu is the fourth largest dealer group in the UK selling 31 brands, according to its website, her marketing role is one of the largest in UK automotive. Her responsibility includes overseeing advertising, events, company websites and the operation of the company’s call centres. She also has oversight of the social media strategy, which has won awards in the industry.

Cope joined the company in her current position in 2016 from the Hong Kong-based owner of Hoover – Techtronic Industries – where she was vice president of global markets. Prior to that she worked for vacuum company Vax and also spent three years at Dyson. She also helped establish the beer brand Peroni in the UK.

Marketing 2024 nominees

Kirsten Stagg, Skoda

Kirsten Stagg was promoted to her current role in 2016 reporting directly to the head of the Skoda brand after two years working as head of marketing for VW Commercials. Kirsten leads a 17-strong team and an extended integrated agency team of 130. She also plays a pivotal role in the Volkswagen Group's transformation, leading workstreams on digital experience for EV customers, as well as chairing the cross-brand digital marketing steering committee. Kirsten joined the Volkswagen Group as a graduate trainee in 1998 and has also worked for Audi and the VW passenger car brand where she rose to national communications manager.

Sarah Cox-Thornley, Volkswagen Passenger Cars

Sarah Cox-Thornley was promoted to this senior position in 2020 and oversees product, events and communications for the brand, the UK’s number one seller over the past three years. New digital innovations launched during Sarah's tenure include the Volkswagen Live Tour offering where potential customers can book a live digital tour of their chosen car, guided by a product genius. Prior to this Cox was head of marketing for VW Commercials, which she moved to in 2016 from Audi. She joined the industry through a BMW graduate scheme in 1999 aged 21, before switching to Audi in 2004 as area sales manager.

Elina Karppinen, Renault Retail Group UK

Elina Karppinen was promoted to commercial and marketing director in February for Renault’s own dealer group that runs a network of Renault, Dacia, Alpine and Nissan dealerships in the UK. Prior to that her title was group marketing director following a promotion in 2020. Her career in Renault retail spans more than 20 years, starting in her home country of Finland. Her first UK role was sales manager in Renault’s West London dealership. She turned around the Renault Slough dealership after taking over in 2008, before moving to marketing. She was made marketing director for the Renault Group in 2014.

Julia Greenhough, TrustFord

Julia Greenhough has overseen marketing at the dealer group since 2011. The job is substantial given that TrustFord is the world’s largest Ford dealer group, operating over 60 locations in the UK. TrustFord is also one of the oldest, celebrating its centenary in 2023. Julie joined Ford from Argos where she worked as display development controller, a job she moved to from head of buying and marketing at the Steinhoff UK Home Furnishings division.

Andrea Bermúdez, McLaren Automotive

Andrea Bermúdez was promoted to this key role within the sports car company at the start of 2023 after nearly 10 years working her way up through McLaren’s commercial division. Andrea joined the company in 2014 as global commercial manager after managing business development for Volkswagen in Argentina and prior to that corporate communications and PR for BMW in Central and South America. She joined BMW in 1999 on a graduate programme in the UK, before moving into aerodynamics.

Fiona Mackay, Nissan

Fiona Mackay joined Nissan at the helm of its marketing division in January this year, after moving from Auto Trader, where she spent three years as director of automotive finance and prior to that two years as marketing director at Nissan’s finance partner, the Renault-owned RCI Bank. Fiona’s early automotive experience was gained at Toyota, which she joined in 2011 as marketing manager before leaving in 2016 as general manager for marketing and digital strategy for Toyota and Lexus financial services.

Claire Andrews, Ohme

Claire Andrews joined the EV charging company to head its marketing operation in February 2022. Prior to that she had led marketing for Mazda in the UK since 2009, where she established herself as a brand expert after joining the Japanese company in 2002 from Lotus cars, her first job in automotive. She has a degree in Spanish studies from the University of Portsmouth.

Helen Perry, Nissan

Helen Perry’s senior role for the Nissan region that includes Europe is to oversee the transformation of the company’s existing marketing and sales processes to focus on a more digital future, including preparing it for new revenue streams. She moved into the role in April 2022 following a year spent as marketing director for Nissan West Europe, a promotion from her previous position as head of electric passenger cars and infrastructure. Helen started her journey within Nissan back in 1999 in the UK as a customer retention manager.