AM deputy editor Aimée Turner has been a specialist B2B editor and journalist covering the international transportation sector for more than 20 years. She has specialised in the significant safety, regulatory, and environmental issues that impact advanced technology businesses in the pursuit of more efficient, safer and sustainable transportation modes.

• Over 40 years Automotive experience

• Including both Sales and Aftersales disciplines to operational director level

• Worked for both private companies PLC

• Strategic thinker with excellent OEM relationships

• 25 years with Wessex Garages, instrumental in growing the business into an AM 100 regional multi brand dealer group

• 6 Years at Managing Director level with Wessex Garages

• Experienced in property purchases, dealership refurbishments and lease negotiations.

• Regular contributor to industry panel discussion groups

• Formed Wiseman Automotive Insights in 2025 – Independent consultant working alongside smaller dealers to assist with operational efficiency improvements, acquisition and expansion

Many supporters of the National Motor Museum will know Christopher Macgowan OBE as its long-term Trustee and Chairman. Few know of his fascinating career in the British motor industry, working for British Leyland, Massey Ferguson and the RMI during the turbulent times of the 1970s and 1980s, before becoming Chief Executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders in the 1990s.

Born ‘down the Old Kent Road,’ Jim was educated at Swansea, Manchester, Leicester and Queens University Belfast. Coming from an automotive parts background he joined Loughborough University in !989 where he founded the MIRA Business Unit and then in 1997 in conjunction with the Ford Motor Company launched the world’s first BSc and MSc programmes in Retail Automotive Management. These were followed by Certificate and Diploma courses in the same subject area.

The programmes became available to all automotive brands in 2002 and bespoke University programmes have been delivered for Ford, Mazda, Renault, Mercedes – Benz, Scania, Toyota and Lexus while delegates from dealer groups as well as the independent sector have attended ‘open’ programmes.

The courses gained an international reputation and have been delivered in the Middle East and SE Asia with delegates coming from Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, China and Vietnam.

During the 2000’s Jim sat on the Government’s Automotive Industry Growth Team and the Management and Leadership Panel that advised ministers on industry and educational issues.

In 2007 he was awarded an IMI Commendation for his work on ATA the Sector Skills Council strategy and the Professional Register.

In November 2020 Jim was invited to become President of the IMI. Since his appointment he has supported the launch of the IMI Taskforce looking to promote Equity, Diversity and Inclusion within the sector. The initial Taskforce Report was published in March 2022.

Jim has written over 100 articles for AM and has published over 85 formal academic and conference papers. He continues to speak at automotive conferences internationally and is often called upon to comment on issues within both the mainstream and industry channels.

He is Chair of the WBBL (the Women’s British Basketball League.) He is also a trustee of Open Hands (Leicester) a Charity working with the Homeless and Poor in the city and a trustee of Bless – Christian Charity working with refugees in the UK and Europe.

Paul has worked within the motor industry for over 40 years and his role before opening his consultancy business was as the Group Operations Director for Lookers plc. Paul worked for the AM top 3 dealer group for 18 years and in that time had a consistent and proven track record of leading multiple high performing and successful teams in all areas of the business, including Retail and Corporate Operations, Aftersales, F&I and Compliance.

Now via his consultancy business, Paul is involved with multiple advisory roles and is sharing his specialist knowledge and advice in all of the key areas, such as Operational Excellence, Strategic Planning, Process Improvement, Compliance & Oversight, Finance & Insurance, Customer Loyalty and Employee Engagement.

Paul is also working as an F&I Advisor with the NFDA and is helping them and their members navigate the high-profile market challenges that the sector is currently facing, including the FCA commission redress scheme.

Richard works as an Advisor and Consultant to the Automotive Industry.

He joined the motor industry on a graduate induction scheme in 1986. Since then he has held roles on both the manufacturer and retail sides of the business and within both private and PLC organisations.

Between 1996 and 2023 Richard worked with Norton Way Motors Ltd (now a Marubeni company) becoming a Director of the company in 2008.

Whilst working as a multi-brand Operations Director and a Corporate Director, his experience included all aspects of the Franchised Dealer role. This resulted in recognition at a number of Industry Awards, including the Automotive Management Awards (2017, 2018, 2021), MotorTrader Awards and the Fleet News Awards.

As a Fellow of the Institute of the Motor Industry (FIMI), Richard became formally involved with the Institute when appointed as a non-executive Director to IMI Awards in 2012 and subsequently a non-executive Director of the Institute of the Motor Industry in 2014.

Richard is a Graduate of the University of Leeds (B.A. Hons. Economics and Management Studies).

Sally Fyffe has 25 years of experience in the Automotive Industry and in that time has represented both manufacturers and dealers. Manufacturer experience included Head of Parts and Aftersales for Honda UK, Aftersales Director for Citroen and Network Development Director for PSA. Dealer experience was gained as the Managing Director for Corkills Motor Group. Staying on the periphery of the industry she also ran the independent wholesale division of Micheldever Tyre Services.

In a lifetime spent mainly in the motor industry, I have had the privilege of working in most parts of the value chain, in different parts of the world and most sectors from cars through to off-highway equipment.

I have spent the last 15 years leading ICDP - a research organisation focused solely on all aspects of car distribution, and now since the end of 2024 have worked on behalf of Cetas Otomotiv to build a dealer group in the UK from scratch, putting theory into practice.

It's my pleasure to have been a judge on the AM Awards panel since 2012, always curious to find the best performers in each of the categories.

Tim Rose has spent almost two whole decades with AM, joining as its news editor in 2004 and steadily progressing through managing editor and deputy editor to editor, a role he has held since 2016.

As editor, his focus is on ensuring AM’s two-person full-time writing team delivers the insightful content that can help and inspire its audience to run their dealerships effectively. In 2020 he was proud to lead AM to win the Automotive Business Publication of the Year trophy at the Newspress Awards.

Alongside devising and chairing AM’s own events, webinars and podcasts, he has also presented on industry issues at Google’s automotive conference and at dealer group conferences.

He has made appearances on BBC News discussing major automotive topics, and he co-presents a weekly consumer motoring segment across BBC Radio Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk, entitled ‘In Gear with Tim and Amir’.

He is National Council for the Training of Journalists qualified and recently became a member of the Institute of Leadership and Management. He can be followed on X at @AM_editorTimR for commentary on motor industry topics as well as his love of basset hounds.

With nearly 40 years experience with BMW Group, Tony is a seasoned executive with extensive general management experience across Marketing, Sales, Used Cars and Dealer Development.

Throughout his multi-disciplinary career, Tony has built deep expertise in dealer network planning and standards, sales strategy, project management, financial management, used car programs, and IT development.