SMMT News

Joe Greenwell named as new SMMT president

25 November 2008 #SMMT News

 

Joe Greenwell, Ford of Europe’s vice president, governmental affairs will be the next president of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) with effect from 1 January 2009. Mr Greenwell will succeed Graham Smith OBE, senior vice-president Toyota Motor Europe who will be stepping down at the end of his two year term.

 

Commenting on his appointment, Joe Greenwell said, “I am delighted to succeed Graham as President and I congratulate him on a very successful tenure.

 

“I am under no illusions about the severity of the challenges that we face. The economic downturn is having a major impact on our industry and there may be worse to come.  Our sector is a vital part of the UK economy. I shall be working hard with the SMMT team and industry colleagues to raise awareness of our position and to promote proposals for seeing the industry through these very difficult times.”

 

Mr Greenwell, who has held his current post at Ford since 2005, has enjoyed a long and successful career in the automotive industry. Immediately before his current position, he was chairman and CEO of Jaguar Land Rover, having previously been vice president, Marketing and Operations, responsible for Ford of Canada, Ford of Mexico, Worldwide Direct Market Operations and Global Marketing.

 

Mr Greenwell had been vice president, Global Automotive and Product Promotions and Associations. Before assuming those roles, Greenwell was vice president, Communications and Public Affairs for Ford of Europe. He joined Jaguar in 1983 and held several senior management positions within sales, marketing and public affairs.

 

While at Jaguar, he was actively involved in numerous community support projects. He chaired the Coventry Business Cares for Children fund raising initiative in association with the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) and also the Foleshill Business Forum, part of the UK Business in the Community programme focusing on urban regeneration. He was also a Governor of Coventry Technical College and Chairman of the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust. He is currently president of BEN, the motor industry and allied trades benevolent fund.

 

Notes:

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) exists to support and promote the interests of the UK automotive industry at home and abroad. Working closely with member companies, SMMT acts as the voice of the motor industry, promoting its position to government, stakeholders and the media.

 

Previous SMMT presidents since 2000 are:

 

January 2007 – December 2008      Graham Smith OBE

June 2005 – December 2006          Roger Putnam CBE

June 2003 – June 2005                  Tod Evans

June 2002 – June 2003                  Mike Baunton, CBE

June 2001 – June 2002                  Nick Reilly CBE

June 2000 – June 2001                  John Neill CBE

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