Johnson & Perrott Group appoints new Chairman
The Johnson & Perrott Motor Group has appointed of a new Chairman of its Board of Directors. The Company, which was founded in 1810, has appointed Harry Lorton as a Non-executive Director and he will become Chairman on the retirement of the group’s current Chairman, Seamus Scally, in June.
Harry will bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to the Board. He is the former CEO of Cork & Limerick Savings Bank and of TSB Bank. He managed the merger and integration of TSB into the banking arm of Irish Life & Permanent plc, developing Permanent TSB into one of Ireland’s top three banks. Internationally, Harry served on the Board of Royal Liver Assurance in Liverpool for five and a half years. He served as Deputy Chairman for two years and now chairs the Royal Liver Assurance Sub-fund with the Royal London Group. He serves as a Non-executive Director of ICS Building Society (part of Bank of Ireland Group) and is a member of the National Competitiveness Council. He is also Chairman of H+A Marketing & PR and is a Director of Kinematik Group Ltd. He holds a degree in Business Studies from Trinity College, Dublin, is a Chartered Certified Accountant and is a graduate of the Owner/President Management Programme of Harvard Business School.
Speaking of the appointment, Mark Whitaker, Chief Executive of Johnson & Perrott Group, stated: “We are very privileged that a businessman of Harry’s stature is willing to invest his time, energy and knowledge in our Company and I look forward to working alongside him in what will be a very exciting as well as a very challenging time for our organisation.”
Paying tribute to Seamus Scally’s contribution to the company, Mark added: “During the last five years, Seamus has brought his immense experience to guide the company through a very difficult economic period. I would like to personally thank him for his extraordinary support and invaluable counsel during his time as our Chairman.”
Johnson & Perrott Motor Group is owned by members of the Whitaker family, and has its head office at Mahon Point Retail Park, Cork.
The Group has two car dealerships situated at Mahonpoint Retail Park and Douglas Road, both in Cork City. The company represents the Honda, Jaguar, Kia, Land Rover, Opel, Peugeot and Volvo new car franchises together with Kia, Mercedes, Mitsubishi and Opel commercial franchises.
The Group’s Fleet Management Company, Johnson & Perrott Fleet, is one of the fastest growing fleet management companies in Ireland and is located at South City Business Park, Tallaght where the Group provides a full range of products and services for both car and commercial vehicle corporate customers in the Republic of Ireland.
The Group sold its Avis Rent a Car business in early 2012 but continues a presence in the vehicle rental industry through its J&P Van Rental division which operates in Dublin and Cork.