Automotive sector learning and development agency RTS Group has appointed Mark Smith as its new chief executive to drive further growth at the 30-year-old business.
Mark, pictured, joins the firm, based at Notton, near Chippenham, after a career that began in consumer magazines – including editing the official magazines for Arsenal and Liverpool football clubs – and then moved into digital media.
He gained a strong track record in building up and selling price-comparison websites and other tech-related businesses.
Prior to joining RTS Group, which works with some of the world’s largest car firms including Mercedes-Benz, Mazda and Nissan to develop dealership staff, deliver automotive events, he had been taking a career break to support his wife, who was being treated for, and has now recovered from, breast cancer.
Mark said: “The board wanted someone to help guide them and steer the business, as well as free them up so they could do their jobs. We’ll work together to work with our clients do deliver into automotive an ever-growing and improving product range as well as a look at new areas of business to which are aligned and relevant.
“There is a brilliant talent pool of people here at RTS, and the technology they are using for the learning and development is truly fantastic. From now on, it’s about how we market that even more effectively and develop it according to market feedback, and what our clients want. My background is in commercial and marketing, and it is this experience that I can bring to the role.”
RTS group managing director Malcolm Miller said he was delighted to welcome Mark to the board in the role of CEO.
“Ours is a long-established company, with an excellent reputation and ever-growing client base,” he said. “Mark is just the person we need to help build on that firm basis and help us to grow and support our clients even more effectively within the automotive sector and complementary industries.”
RTS Group was last year named among the Sunday Times Top 100 Best Small Companies to work.
As well as delivering learning and development and automotive events, it has a finance arm – FIMTRAC – which focuses on trade cycle management, and helping dealerships increase the uptake of vehicle finance among customers.
