A new consultancy, ChannelMax (www.ChannelMax.co.uk), part of the Moon River Group, will be headed up by ex-Ford and Toyota executive Lee Dickinson, a specialist in the development and management of new channel strategies and distribution networks. His previous work includes Ford Rapid Fit and Toyota Accident Assistance programmes.

Dickinson, who returns to the UK automotive scene after 18 months in the Far East explains what ChannelMax will be doing: “We will help large automotive organisations who distribute their products and services through independent resellers like car dealers, parts factors or vehicle repairers to get the best possible profit and operational performance from their networks.”

Dickinson believes the new European Block Exemption is creating new risks and opportunities for automotive suppliers: “The new Block Exemption has already begun to change the industry, especially in terms of operating standards, the increased management focus and the investment now being directed into network development. But make no mistake, the biggest changes – the new distribution channels and networks encouraged by the Regulation - are still to come.”