Vertu Motors appoints Chris Harris as retail marketing director

Vertu Motors has appointed Chris Harris as retail and marketing director for its specialist and premium brand car dealerships.

In his new role, Harris will assume responsibility for building the marketing and brand capability of premium and specialist brands including Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), Audi and Mercedes-Benz to drive growth in the division.

Liz Cope, chief marketing officer at Vertu Motors, said: “Chris is well-known in the industry and I am very pleased to have appointed him to support and grow our specialist and premium divisions.

“His experience and diverse skills will be a real asset to these expanding divisions.”

Harris most recently worked with Zenith Vehicle Leasing, building its online direct to consumer brand, Zen Auto.

Previously, Harris has held roles as group marketing director at the AA and luxury car dealer group HR Owen.

In an interview during his time at HR Owen, Harris told AM that high quality data and and commitment to capturing and acting on information is the key to successful customer communications and increased sales. 

Commenting on his move to Vertu this week, Harris, said: “I’ve admired for many years what Robert Forrester and the team at Vertu Motors have achieved, the central role that marketing plays in the business strategy.

“I find people’s relationship with their cars, and what affects their buying decisions, endlessly fascinating, and I plan to use this curiosity to build the Vertu Motors brand and experience.”

Harris is also vice chair of the Ideas Foundation, a charity working with schools to expose them to the creative design process, with the aim of increasing diversity in the creative and marketing industries.