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Mark Busby

Director, Commercial Operations

Director, Commercial Operations

Mark joined Hendy by acquisition. His old firm, Doves Ford in Fareham, was bought by the flourishing Hendy Group in February 2000. As with so many employees of firms acquired by Hendy, Mark stayed and prospered. He became Director of Commercial Operations in June 2016.

 

Mark has worked in the car business since leaving school. ‘I started on an apprenticeship with my local Ford dealer in Basingstoke. I didn’t really know what I wanted to do but I liked cars.’

 

He started in parts before moving to a broader after-sales role. He joined Doves Ford in 1995. Promotions quickly followed, including Fleet Manager and Retail Sales Manager.

After the Hendy takeover, Mark became New Car Sales Manager for the new Hendy Ford (formerly Doves Ford) in Fareham. ‘Paul Hendy was my Sales Director, my boss. When you go through a big change you can be cautious or optimistic. I’d met Paul before. I liked the way he operated. So, I was very positive about the future.

 

‘Paul creates a strong belief in achieving what you may think is unachievable. He’s very good at creating a vision and getting buy-in. So many people here would go the extra mile for Paul, because you know he’d do the same for you.’

In 2006, Mark briefly quit to pursue a new life in Australia. ‘My family went to Perth, but we lasted less than a year. Paul helped support  my visa application. When I decided it was time to come back, Paul was the first person I rang.

 

Once back in the UK, he stepped into a new Group Sales Development Manager role. It was the beginning of Hendy’s in-house sales training. It was also the beginning of what would become the Hendy Academy, which now provides training for a wide range of roles. Later, Mark would also help set up the Hendy Foundation with Rebecca Hendy to support local charities. He remains a trustee.