Waves background

John Hendy

Director of Property and IT

Director of Property and IT

Cousin of Chief Executive Paul and the group’s Director of Property and IT, John is an automotive engineer. He studied at Loughborough University, before joining Hendy in 1994. ‘As a young lad I was very aware of the family business. My dad went to work on a Saturday and I’d often go in with him. I’d sit at my dad’s secretary’s desk and I’d read the car brochures. It was a major part of my upbringing.’

 

Despite being part of the family – Paul’s dad and John’s dad were brothers – he never felt pressured to join Hendy. ‘I looked at other opportunities in engineering but decided to join Hendy, in the Power products division.’

When John joined, Hendy was at the forefront of converting buses to run on natural gas. John’s specialist subject at university was alternative fuel systems, so the job suited him well. ‘It can be difficult being from the family whose name is above the building. I just wanted to be treated like everyone else. I didn’t get an easy ride and I think I quickly proved myself. But all of Hendy is like a big family.’


To learn the wider business, John moved around the company, including working for Hendy Trucks, first in the sales team and then working for the warranties department. In the year 2000, he got involved in IT. Soon after, he took it over. Responsibility for property followed.

‘Our IT system is phenomenally complicated because every car brand demands we use certain systems. Each dealership is also essentially four complex operations in their own right: component stock management, sales process and control, aftersales vehicle and customer management, and financial control. It’s also got more complex as we expanded with more retailers selling more brands.’

Property has also expanded massively. When John took over 20 years ago, there were ‘seven or eight sites’. Now there’s 70. John’s property responsibility also includes design and build of the retail outlets, ensuring they meet the franchise brand requirements. ‘They are all demanding.’

 

John was born in Winchester, ‘in Hendy’s heartland’. As a family business, John says Hendy is different from most motor retailers. ‘We’re here for our colleagues and our customers. That’s the way the business has always run. Our profits get invested in the business, and that’s one reason we’ve grown so much recently. You’re also never more than two layers away from Paul Hendy in decision making. He listens. When we’ve taken over business that were PLCs, many colleagues said they felt like numbers and were divorced from the decision making. They don’t feel that way at Hendy.’

 

Away from work, is a keen Saracens Rugby and Hampshire cricket supporter and an enthusiastic traveller. ‘My wife and I do one big trip every five or so years. Next, we’re off to Japan.’