The latest appointments in the automotive industry.

Inchcape announce appointment of new group chief executive

Inchcape, the international automotive services group, has announced that Andre Lacroix will succeed Peter Johnson as group chief executive.

Lacroix, will join the board of Inchcape on September 1 and will assume the role of group chief executive on January 1, 2006 at which time Johnson will succeed Sir John Egan as non-executive chairman, as previously announced. Sir John will retire from the board on December 31.

EMH appoints non-executive director

European Motor Holdings has appointed David Beck as a non-executive director immediately following the company's annual meeting on June 17.

Beck has held senior management positions at British Leyland, Lex Service Group plc (where he was managing director of the Lex Retail Group) and, latterly, at Quicks Group, where he held both executive and non-executive director roles prior to that company's acquisition by CD Bramall in May 2002.

Management succession at Avon

Avon has announced that it will be appointing Terry Stead as chief executive and Peter Slabbert as finance director following Steve Wilcox’s decision to retire from the group on September 30.

Stead has been finance director since 1998. Whilst Wilcox will work with Stead until September 30 and will remain on the board during that time, Stead will become chief executive with effect from July 1.

Slabbert has been financial controller of the group since May 2000. Slabbert is appointed finance director with effect from July 1.