The former commercial director of Sytner Group’s Car Shop used car division, James Dunkley, has joined Camden Ventures as a managing partner weeks after departing the AM100-topping retailer.

AM reported on December 23 that Dunkley had left Sytner’s car supermarket operator along with brother and CarShop chief executive Jonathan Dunkley and the operation’s financial officer Brian Scott.

Sources initially flagged up the trio’s move away from Sytner before a notice of the termination of both Jonathan Dunkley and Scott’s appointment at CarShop on the Companies House website.

All three moved to the business when Sytner acquired the CarShop back in 2017 and had overseen the subsequent integration of The Car People following its acquisition a year later, along with the recent expansion of the car supermarket group.

While the plans of Jonathan Dunkley and Scott remain unclear, James Dunkley too to LinkedIn to confirm his move to Camden Ventures.

James Dunkley wrote: “After seven great years and being part of the team that took a £150m turnover business to almost £600m my time at CarShop has come to an end.

“Thanks to my fantastic family, friends, colleagues and partners that supported me along the way, I will be forever grateful.

“I am excited to say I will be moving into my new role as the ‘Managing Partner’ of Camden Ventures immediately and can’t wait to get started, I will be sure to share more on what we are up to in the coming weeks and months. Happy new year everyone, let’s make 2020 a year to remember.”

Run by chief executive David Hammond – who is also the non-executive chairman of Cazana – Camden Ventures is a property and investment company founded by James and Jonathan Dunkley’s father, Paul Dunkley, with a record of building up and selling car retail businesses, including Car Shops Ltd.

It also sold Allen Ford to Super Group in 2015, Camden Corporate Fleet Services to Barclays Private Equity in 2007 and Crystal/Astle Motor Group to Marshall Motor Group in 2014.