Craig Cooper has been appointed as general manager of XPart, Europe’s official MG Rover parts supplier.

He replaces former chairman John Parkinson as the company’s most senior figure and will also take on the additional responsibilities of the former marketing director Charles Binns, who has left the company with immediate effect.

The role of general manager was created following Parkinson and Binns’ departures. Parkinson had come to the end of his fixed-term contract while Binns left to “pursue other interests”.

Cooper previously worked for MG Rover as sales and marketing manager, where he helped develop the XPart business in 2001.

He then moved to XPart’s parent business, Caterpillar Logistics, in October 2005 where he has held various senior management positions.