Jon Wakefield steps down as Harwoods CEO, Archie Harwood to resume role

Jon Wakefield is stepping down as Harwoods chief executive and will leave the AM100 dealership group with immediate effect.

Archie Harwood, currently chief transformation officer, will resume the role of chief executive after stepping down from the top position in January last year to focus on the development of the company's technology platform.

William Fall, Harwoods chairman, said: “Since the end of Covid, the industry has faced a number of headwinds, including global supply chain challenges, economic uncertainty and changes in the OEMs' relationship with their dealer networks. 

“As for others in our position, the business environment has been challenging and I thank Jon for his leadership during this difficult period and wish him well in his future. Archie returns to the CEO role, bringing a deep knowledge of both the company and the industry". 

Harwoods, a family-owned company founded in 1931, runs a large network of dealerships, representing JLR, Audi, Volvo, INEOS, Bentley, McLaren and Aston Martin, as well as car and truck servicing, repair and maintenance sites, across the south of England.  

Harwoods appointed former Volvo Car UK managing director Jon Wakefield as chief executive in early 2023 before embarking on a transformation that, it said, would “revolutionise the automotive industry”.

Harwoods said at the time that it was aiming to transform its new and used car sales both on and offline alongside plans to scale and grow the business.

The business also recruited former Benfield Motors CEO and National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA) chairman Mark Squires as a non-executive director alongside banking and financial market expert William Fall.

Wakefield, who left his role with Volvo Car UK in 2019 to become MD of Volvo in Sweden, brought more than two decades of leadership experience in retail and manufacturing to the Harwoods business.