Unipart Neighborhood has launched the retirement of its Founder and Govt Chairman, Dr John M. Neill CBE, after an popular career spanning five a protracted time.
John Neill’s stride began with Normal Motors, the put he fast rose to change into the youngest in a foreign country govt. In 1974, he joined British Leyland, and by 1977, at the age of 29, he had been appointed Managing Director of the British Leyland Parts Division, making him the youngest MD to handbook the firm’s most profitable industry. In 1987, John took on the position of Neighborhood Chief Govt at Unipart and later assumed the arrangement of Chairman and Chief Govt in 2012, earlier than changing into Govt Chairman in October 2022. John will retire from his day-to-day responsibilities and step down as a Board member on 31 August 2024, while continuing to improve the industry till the tip of November 2024. He’ll remain Unipart’s biggest particular person shareholder.
Since 1974, John has been the cornerstone of Unipart, remodeling it correct into a proud British conducting with a world footprint in 21 countries, with over 12,000 colleagues, and offering an intensive portfolio of merchandise, companies and products, and alternate choices. Below his leadership, Unipart reported a £1 billion turnover in 2023, alongside a essential boost in profitability, positioning the firm for continued thunder. This year, Unipart celebrates the Fiftieth anniversary of its stamp – a milestone John has been integral salvage.
John’s unwavering dedication to excellence and innovation is exemplified by “The Unipart Methodology”, a testament to his visionary draw. For the length of the years, he has brought a sure blend of vision, abilities, leadership, and fervour to the industry.
“Working at Unipart has been one of many ultimate honours of my existence,” said John. “The relationships I’ve built, the challenges we’ve overcome, and the milestones we’ve done collectively will consistently withhold a sure put in my heart. I am deeply grateful to my colleagues, industry companions, and all our stakeholders for their unwavering improve in the route of my stride. As we maintain a essential time our Fiftieth anniversary, I indubitably feel that, if I am to construct the most of seeing my grandchildren grow up and forge lasting bonds with them, the window to complete so is now.”
Reflecting on his stride, John remarked, “All the draw thru the final 50 years, I if fact be told maintain had the privilege of working with unparalleled folk whose loyalty and dedication had been instrumental in remodeling Unipart from its early days because the parts division of British Leyland. Together, we defied apparently insurmountable odds. When I joined, the parts industry modified into in terminal decline, and it modified into clear that most attention-grabbing radical innovation might perchance well stable our future. We built a user stamp, created an ‘all makes’ industry, consistently innovated to handbook the industry, after which in 1987 done the in relation to very now now not doubtless – leading a administration and employee buyout of a parts industry from a automobile firm – one thing that had on no narrative been done wherever on this planet earlier than.
“When I began my career, British Leyland modified into the world’s fifth-biggest automotive manufacturer. At the present time, Unipart stands because the sole final independent firm from that period. I take big satisfaction in what now we maintain done collectively. The loyalty, dedication, and tireless efforts of our folk maintain sustained this firm for a protracted time, and none of us might perchance well be here without them.
“At the time of our buyout, the firm confronted a single point of failure, but as of late, we function sooner or later of just a few sectors, with various potentialities, serving just a few applied sciences, in just a few geographies. We withhold valued partnerships with blue-chip automotive, technology, and rail corporations while expanding into aerospace, motorsport, and industrial companies and products. Unipart has remained profitable in the route of the years and is successfully-positioned for continued thunder.”
John’s tenure is marked by quite just a few achievements, alongside side the creation of the Unipart stamp in the Seventies and Eighties, leading the administration and employee buyout from British Leyland, and organising Britain’s first company university, the Unipart “U.” He modified into a pioneer of stakeholder administration in the UK and performed a key position in the The next day’s Company inquiry, leading to a search the recommendation of with from HRH Prince Philip to gape these solutions in put collectively.
John is on the full regarded as a unique leader amongst Chairmen and C-suite executives for his insight into digital applied sciences and generative A.I., coupled alongside with his potential to teach and leverage these concepts to inspire his colleagues. His visionary draw and steadfast leadership maintain now now not most attention-grabbing contributed to the thunder and success of Unipart but maintain also impressed countless folk alongside the capability.
Previous his skilled accomplishments at Unipart, John has made essential contributions to the broader industry neighborhood. He has been an brisk member of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), a previous President of the Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders (SMMT), and has participated in several government working groups. He has also served on the Court docket of the Bank of England, and on the Boards of Charter World plc, Midlands Vitality plc, Rolls-Royce plc, and Royal Mail Holdings plc. In 1994, John modified into awarded a CBE for his companies and products to industry. He at the second serves as an Govt Board Member of the SMMT and President of the Car Management Network.
As John embarks on this novel chapter, he looks to be like ahead to spending more time alongside with his household, taking on extra non-govt roles, and continuing his improve for various exterior organisations, as successfully as his mentoring commitments. The firm has also requested that he continue because the Chair of Unipart’s RBS Pension Trustee Board, a position he has agreed to fulfil.
Dr Bryan Jackson, Senior Self reliant Director, shared that John first told him of his draw to retire in May perchance well. Since then, the firm has been working to construct particular there’ll be a at ease transition over six months to November. A distinguished commerce will happen on 1 September, with the creation of a brand novel arrangement of Non-Govt Chair, which is prepared to be the self-discipline of a separate announcement.
Bryan Jackson said, “In all honesty, it might perchance well perchance perchance well be extremely complicated to substitute John’s position as Govt Chairman. Simply build, how discontinue you apply any individual who has dedicated a lifetime to creating an iconic British firm with its real spirit?
“On behalf of the Board, our colleagues, potentialities, and the countless others who maintain benefitted from being fragment of Unipart, phrases can now now not completely explicit our gratitude for the entire lot John has done to construct Unipart into the stable, an extraordinarily good deal of organisation it is as of late. His dedication to excellence, innovation, and continuous improvement leaves us with a industry that positively impacts its folk, potentialities, shareholders, and stakeholders. I leer ahead to celebrating John’s legacy and achievements and making sure we continue to construct on Unipart’s strengths as we grow in the future.”
