Beattie is responsible for all technical support, the call centre, Parts & Accessories, warranty-related matters and both technical and non-technical training, amongst other duties. A team of close to 30 people will report to him.
Having qualified as an automotive technician with the Land Rover Academy in 2001, not long afterwards Beattie moved to the United Kingdom and joined HR Owen Land Rover in London in May that year.
He came back to SA at the end of 2005 and has worked exclusively with the two archetypal British brands since then, apart from a sabbatical from July 2011 until March 2012. His previous role at JLR was that of technical services manager.
Says Beattie: "The customer experience must be exceptional on every level, and that's what we'll strive to provide. Our job must be to keep our existing customers happy, and engender brand loyalty whether they own a Discovery in Kenya, a Jaguar in Angola or a Range Rover in Sandton."
To this end, he will work closely with the 35 Land Rover dealers (11 of which also sell Jaguar) in South Africa and the nine markets in Africa which comprise SSA.
"These are both brilliant brands in terms of their technology, quality and heritage, and I'm very excited about my new role in keeping them at the forefront in South Africa and sub-Sahara Africa," concluded Beattie.
