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Women take on top roles

Marque promotes two employees to head of retail sales and operations,  and national fleet sales manager.
Posted on 05 July, 2023
Women take on top roles

Mitsubishi Motors NZ (MMNZ) has promoted two key staff members – Hayley Rowland-White and Felicity Butler – to newly created positions in its senior sales team as the business looks to consolidate on an “unprecedented period of success” and ensure it’s well-prepared for the future.

Rowland-White, pictured left, has been appointed head of retail sales and operations, while Butler, right, becomes national fleet sales manager.

“This highly capable duo have contributed strongly to our incredible growth and success over the past few years and prior to that,” says Warren Brown, president and chief executive officer of MMNZ. “These roles were created to evolve and strengthen our team as we enter an exciting new period. 

“I’m thrilled to give Hayley and Felicity the scope and responsibility of leading vehicle sales for MMNZ as we begin this new phase of our operations. I am confident they are the best people to help us move forward.

“We always look to recruit internally where we have the right people for the job and will always support them to succeed when given the opportunity. It’s all part of our ‘family’ approach. We care about our people, which is why we also became the first automotive brand accredited as a living-wage employer in New Zealand.”

As head of retail sales and operations, Rowland-White will build on her relationships across MMNZ’s dealer network to support and guide sales teams to greater success.

Butler will focus on taking an already “industry leading” fleet team to the next level, continuing to focus on building relationships with key partners and winning and retaining significant corporate accounts.

Rowland-White joined the company’s customer care centre in 2010, and most recently managed the sales and logistics team as operations manager during the highest growth and sales period in its recent history.

She says: “My primary focus is on ensuring our dealers are positioned for greater success and our customers continue to be among the most satisfied of any industry in the country.

“On a personal level, since taking on this new challenge I’ve had a lot of congratulatory messages from females around the wider automotive industry. We are still a minority in this field, so I’m aware of how meaningful it is for them to see a woman in a leadership position for a major distributor.

“Within MMNZ, it’s about being recognised for your efforts and achievements and being given opportunities to lead and share in the team’s success. It is so rewarding to be part of a team that puts people first.”

Butler, who joined MMNZ in 2014 after a successful career in retail and fleet sales here and in the UK, has been instrumental in winning and retaining some significant corporate accounts.

She is “thrilled to inspire all women in our industry to reach for the top” and is looking forward to taking MMNZ’s fleet offering to the next level.

“As a business, I want us to continue to be the best at what we do in this area,” says Butler. “That means supporting fleet customers not only with an outstanding vehicle range, but outstanding service and trusted relationships. At the end of the day, people buy from people and we have some of the best in the business.”