Ford of Britain has appointed Owen Gregory as its new director of fleet operations.

Gregory, who will succeed Nick Themistocleous, who announced his decision to retire last month, joined Ford as a graduate in 1999 and held a variety of positions in sales and marketing, both in Ford of Britain and Ford of Europe, including UK dealer and consumer marketing manager and UK product marketing manager.

He then moved to Germany in 2014 to become European brand manager for Focus, C-MAX and Kuga.

Andy Barratt, Ford of Britain chairman and managing director, said:  “Owen is ideally suited to this position and will be a great addition to our team.

“He brings a fresh perspective to the role with his extensive knowledge of our Ford dealer network and background in both Ford of Britain and Ford of Europe operations.

“Owen will build on the excellent foundations provided by Nick as we move into the launch of the Ford Edge, our flagship SUV, the expansion of the Vignale range with S-MAX and Kuga and the continued strength of our commercial vehicles.”