Former Volkswagen South Africa sales and marketing director Mike Glendinning aims to bring a fresh perspective to the Kelston Motor Group’s operations after being appointed a non-executive director.
Glendinning (61) who retired from VWSA in 2021 and joined Kelston, which has 16 vehicle brands including VW under its roof, on November 1 bringing 36 years of experience in the sales and marketing game to the boardroom table.
Kelston has 21 dealerships serving the coastal stretch from Gqeberha to East London and the interior in major towns such as Kariega, Queenstown, Cradock, Somerset East and Graaff-Reinet.
During Glendinning’s stint with VWSA he worked extensively with the dealer network and council. He also oversaw many successful campaigns to promote the Volkswagen brand.
“I have known Mike McNaughton (Kelston managing director) for many years and have always had respect for his business operations,” said Glendinning.
He believed that a passion for business was the core element to achieving goals.
“There is no substitute for enthusiasm and excitement in what you do and how you do things in business. These characteristics are especially beneficial as you enter leadership roles and assist greatly in building a positive team spirit.”
In his latest role, he believed his initial input would be to provide insight and advice to ensure the group’s continued success.
He began his career with VWSA as a graduate trainee, spending his formative years on the art side of the business with marketing-related responsibilities. He then moved to the science side, learning about product marketing, sales planning, and distribution. Thereafter came sales and aftersales.
Glendinning was appointed to the VWSA board in 2006 as sales and marketing director responsible for VW passenger and commercial vehicles as well as Audi. He was executive vice-president for sales and marketing at VW de Mexico from 2014 to 2018 but returned to his former position at VWSA in 2019.
