Motorway has appointed former eBay and Trainline communications specialist Victoria Biggs to the newly-created role of chief communications officer.

Biggs joins the online marketplace from Trainline, the leading independent rail and coach platform, where she led global communications throughout the company’s listing on the London Stock Exchange. 

She brings 20 years of experience in PR and communications and was previously PR director at eBay UK.

Biggs assumes responsibility for Motorway’s communications functions and sustainability strategy, and joins the Motorway executive team, reporting to chief executive Tom Leathes.

Leathes said: “I’m delighted to welcome Victoria to the Motorway family. On the back of unprecedented growth in the last 12 months, investing in the best possible talent is imperative to our continued success. And that is exactly what we have found in Victoria.

“Her incredible experience working for high growth tech companies like Trainline and eBay makes her an invaluable addition to our team – both spearheading our sustainability strategy and leading our communications as the business continues to grow at an accelerated pace.”

Motorway has set its sights on “further massive opportunity” in the automotive retail sector after achieving ‘unicorn’ status with a $1 billion (£750m) valuation back in November.

The start-up, first profiled by AM after it was formed as a tech start-up with just three employees, achieved its landmark valuation following its latest funding round and now plans to improve its customer experience with growth of its workforce from 250 to over 350 over the next 12 months.

With a network of more than 4,000 professional car dealers now using its platform to bid on vehicles, Motorway helps private car sellers dispose of their cars.

Biggs’ appointment follows the appointment of James Wilson, former director of marketplace fulfilment at Amazon UK, as Motorway’s chief operating officer.

Biggs said: “I’m excited to be joining a business that has such a strong customer focus and is harnessing the power of technology to build a better car market for everyone. 

“Motorway has already achieved incredible growth and I’m looking forward to joining the team as we continue to scale and become the most trusted and sustainable used car marketplace.”