Raj Virdee joins Mercedes-Benz of Slough as head of business

Mercedes-Benz of Slough has appointed Raj Virdee as its new head of business.

He has worked in motor retail since 2003, starting as a sales manager for Hughes Group, and most recently working as sales manager at Mercedes-Benz of Beaconsfield.

Vertu Motors, which operates Mercedes-Benz of Slough, acquired Hughes Group in June 2018.

Virdee graduated from Anglia Ruskin University in 1997 with a Bachelor’s degree in optical management, but after six years in the industry, he decided to focus on a career in motor retail.

“So far, my time at Mercedes-Benz of Slough has been fantastic,” he said, “and the team here is brilliant. Everyone is committed to providing excellent customer service and even more so with the adaptations we have made to comply with social distancing regulations.

“Beginning a new role and being greeted with a global pandemic shortly after is not what I expected to say the least, but I can proudly say that the team here have exceeded expectations, and I’m looking forward to seeing their full potential now that we’re back to some sort of ‘normal’.”

Vertu Motors delivered an adjusted profit before tax of £7.4 million in July after stating that post-lockdown trading was “significantly stronger than envisaged”.

The group cut 345 jobs in order to “future proof” its operations through increased automation in the wake of the pandemic.