New chief for dealerships

Auckland City Toyota has announced the appointment of Cornel Marais as its new chief operations officer.

The company says he will oversee its three dealerships, which are based in Grey Lynn, Mt Wellington and Greenlane, and continue to “raise the bar for performance, customer experience, and leadership across the network”.

Marais, pictured, was most recently general manager of the Grey Lynn branch and has previously led Auckland City Toyota dealerships at Botany and Greenlane.

His previous roles include being regional group operations manager for Armstrong’s, which owns Auckland City Toyota, from August 2022 to April 2025.

Before that he spent two-and-a-half years as dealer principal at Eagers Automotive after moving to New Zealand from South Africa where he had 10 years in similar roles.  

Speaking about his latest appointment, Marias says he is “deeply grateful for this opportunity and humbled by the trust placed in me”. 

“This milestone wouldn’t have been possible without the many people who’ve supported and guided me along the way, mentors, colleagues, and teams who have shaped my journey and helped me grow as a leader,” he posted on LinkedIn.

“To everyone who has been part of my career so far, thank you. I look forward to this next chapter, continuing to build on our strong foundation and working alongside an exceptional team to drive Auckland City Toyota Group forward.”