Epps to be VIA’s chief executive
Greig Epps has been appointed as the new chief executive of the Imported Motor Vehicle Industry Association (VIA).
He will be taking up the position on September 20 having been manager of regulatory affairs at the Insurance Council of NZ for about one year.
Before that, Epps was well-known in the automotive industry for his role with the Motor Trade Association (MTA) where he was manager for advocacy and strategy. Having spent eight years with the MTA, is well-known by the industry and officials alike.
“We believe Greig to be a very good fit for VIA,” says chairman Frank Willett. “His strength in transport, industry advocacy is just what we were looking for. He has an intricate understanding of our industry, solid relationships in place with officials and an extensive university education, including a law degree.”
It was in July last year that Epps announced he was leaving the MTA to take up a similar position with the Insurance Council of New Zealand (ICNZ).
He had been with the MTA since July 2014 when he joined as industry relationship manager before becoming its manager for advocacy and strategy in November 2018.
Before joined the MTA, he had roles in New Zealand at Lincoln University, Vector and the University of Auckland. He has also worked for the University of Toronto in Canada and InterGen HK Ltd in Hong Kong.
Back in July last year, Epps spoke to Autofile Online about leaving the MTA where he said it had been fun to work. “There are some really good people in this industry and really interesting challenges facing it” he added.
“I’ve learnt a lot about not just vehicle sales but also workshops, service stations, tow trucks and many more because the MTA covers so much in terms of the industry. That has been fascinating.”
When Ian Pike was acting CEO of the MTA in 2022, he said that Epps had developed “an incredible institutional knowledge” for all matters relating to the association during his time with it.
“He championed a significant number of strategic issues and always advocated on the MTA’s behalf in a convincing and professional manner,” added Pike.
“His quick wit and intelligent engagement with folk around the office, as well as his rapport with members a wide variety of stakeholders and directors alike, will be missed.”
