Maserati has restructured its corporate team as part of a push to ensure that half of its sales go to the fleet sector.
As part of the team change, Howard Dalziel has been promoted to the newly created role of national corporate sales manager.
He previously occupied the position of corporate sales manager (south) for the brand; Laura Heathcote-Smith joins Maserati as his replacement.
Heathcote-Smith joins the Italian brand from VMS Fleet Management Ltd where she held the role of account manager.
Dalziel and Heathcote-Smith are supported by Louise Kelly, corporate sales manager (north) and Alexandra Cooper, customer contact executive.
The increased headcount is partly in response to increased demand for the manufacturer’s products. Maserati claims it has experienced a 23% rise in registrations this year, despite the challenging market conditions facing manufacturers. The firm puts this increase in demand down to the recent introduction of the Levante SUV and a facelifted version of the Ghibli saloon in the UK.
In the first eight months of the year, the Italian brand registered 1,122 units compared with 913 vehicles in the same period in 2016.
“With such a strong corporate offering it’s a great time to be in this role at Maserati,” Delziel said. “We will continue to focus our attention on the contract hire and leasing industry, the broker channels, corporate entities, data providers and of course our dealer network, with a view to securing a wider audience for Maserati’s affordably exclusive cars.”
Peter Denton, region manager for Maserati North Europe, added: “With our corporate sales team at full strength and a highly appealing model range, thanks to the newly announced updates for the MY18 Ghibli and the recent introduction of the Levante SUV, we aim to achieve 50% of all Maserati sales in the corporate sector.”