Cap and HPI have targeted growth in the UK and overseas after making a trio of new appointments.

Joel Albyn, a former director of product management and global ecommerce strategy for Walmart, joins the business as director of innovation and product management and will lead the rollout of new data products and devise new digital strategies. 

Albyn has been working between Walmart’s Innovation labs in San Francisco and the UK, leading a team of product and project managers. 

Roland Barzegar has been appointed as chief of staff.

Barzegar, who joins from his previous post as finance director at Plusnet, will coordinate programme management and support the managing director with the acquisition strategy.

Andrea Preston, meanwhile, joins the business as head of HR, automotive.

She will lead a record period of recruitment for the business, and implement talent development programmes.

Preston has worked in senior HR roles in legal firm Taylor Wessing and technology business, PACE. 

The three new appointments come as part of a restructure which has seen the establishment of a new senior management team sitting across both Cap and HPI brands.

Commenting on the appointments, Ian Rendle, managing director of Cap and HPI said: “We are building a world-class brand, and it is important to have the right people in place to support our ambitions. The coming months will see unprecedented levels of product innovation and the implementation of transformative digital strategies that will benefit our customers in the UK, and beyond. Joel will play a key role in leading this programme. 

“Andrea brings a wealth of experience in growing a team and creating a strong culture in an international technology led business.  And Roland will support our operations through a period of organic and acquisition led expansion.”  

Leeds based Cap and HPI is one of the UK’s largest automotive data businesses, employing 160 staff and providing both data and insight to the automotive trade and consumers.