Constellation Automotive has appointed cinch chief executive James Mullins to the board of AM100 car retailer Marshall Motor Group.

The former Cambria Automobiles chief financial officer’s move comes around 12 months after he took the CEO role at the online car retail operation.

His move was announced on the same day that Constellation CFO Tim Lampert resigned over 100 directorships held within the board of BCA, cinch, Marshall and WeBuyAnyCar owner Constellation Group.

Lampert remains a director at Constellation’s management incentive business BCA MIP Nominee, however.

Doing little to quell speculation that Mullins could be in-line to step into the Marshall Motor Group CEO post left vacant by Daksh Gupta in May 2022, a statement issued to AM by Constellation Automotive Group this afternoon omitted words from an earlier draft reported by other media outlets which stated: "Marshall has recently appointed Mark Hemus as CFO, and a CEO replacement search continues. We can confirm that James Mullins will not be taking up either of these roles.”

The updated stament said: “On Friday 31 March there were a number of filings at Companies House showing Tim Lampert resigning as a Director of the Group and James Mullins and others being appointed as Directors. These are corporate level directorate changes and we can confirm that Tim Lampert is, and will remain, a committed and long-term employee of Constellation, as he has been from day one. 

"Tim will however step aside from being the Group CFO to concentrate on certain strategic projects for the advancement of the Group.  James will act as Interim CFO for the Group whilst we consider the internal and external options to replace the CFO role permanently.

"Marshall has recently appointed Mark Hemus as CFO, and a CEO replacement search continues. Cinch will continue to be run as a stand-alone entity and any speculation about it being integrated into Marshall’s is unfounded.”

Constellation's latest personnel changes come three months after Richard Blumberger resigned as Marshall Motor Group’s chief financial officer.

Blumberger had been appointed by former Marshall CEO Daksh Gupta to replace the AM Awards current Business Leader of the Year, Mark Raban, upon his appointment as CEO of Lookers.

Gupta himself left the retail group as Constellation acquired the regulatory approvals it required to complete the group’s acquisition in May last year.

Marshall appointed Arriva Group finance director Mark Hemus in February.

The board changes at Marshall Motor Group form the latest of a series of changes for the retail group under its ownership by Constellation.

AM reported last year that Kia was ending its franchise partnership with Marshall, amid talk that some of Marshall's OEM partners had been unhappy with the takeover.