Industry veteran taking ‘different road’

Dean Sheed has announced he is ending his association with European Motor Distributors (EMD) after nearly 26 years of service.

He has been branded finance and mobility manager of EMD, which is part of the Giltrap Group, for the past 15 months after previously being general manager of Audi New Zealand for 11 years.

Prior to that he was general manager of Volkswagen New Zealand from 1999 to 2012 and before joining EMD he spent 12 years at Ford NZ.

He is also a life member and past board member of Drive Electric after first teaming up with the organisation in 2016.

Sheed, pictured, wrote in a LinkedIn post on October 18 that it was his final day with EMD and time for him to “take a different road for my development and business life”.

“Leading and developing the national Volkswagen and then Audi businesses and recently setting up the finance, insurance and mobility area across the brands, has developed my skills and allowed me to build relationships locally and in Europe for which I will forever be grateful,” he adds.

Sheed continues that he has worked with a large number of people over that time, including dealer networks, external partners, factory colleagues and external member organisations.

“However, I am most proud of the people I have recruited, or worked alongside and assisted in their development, and in the outcomes that we have achieved together for the brands and business.”

He also extended his thanks to Richard Giltrap and Michael Giltrap, managing directors of the Giltrap Group, and Glynn Tulloch, EMD’s chief executive officer, for their support over the years.