DARREN EDWARDS
The man at the Sytner Group helm credits the automotive industry’s equal-opportunity ethos with his success.
“AG-reg Ford Orion in white,” recalls Sytner Group boss Darren Edwards, without hesitation, when asked to recall the first car he ever sold. “I can remember the lovely couple I sold it to, and I can remember the deal. My manager wouldn’t give any money off, but we threw in a two-year warranty.”
So began a career in car retail that has seen Edwards rise to the very top of Britain’s largest and premier car dealer group. He is an Outstanding UK Leader for 2023, recognition not only for a stellar career to date that includes a nineyear stint as Sytner Group MD but also a performance last year that saw Sytner return a whopping $8.4 billion (£6.8bn) in revenue from its 150 or so franchises, including Audi, BMW, Mercedes-benz, Porsche and Jaguar Land Rover.
Edwards started his career as an apprentice paint sprayer after leaving school at 16 in 1984. He noticed the salespeople “looked cleaner” so decided to become a sales trainee five years later. In 1996 he moved to BMW and to Sytner in 2004, where he was put in charge of BMW’S London dealerships, including Canary Wharf. Just 10 years later he was in charge of the Sytner Group in the UK.
“This industry is a meritocracy,” says Edwards, a considered, engaging speaker, reflecting on his success. “If you have some aftersales experience and some sales experience, and then you start managing people, it helps to understand what the pressure points are because you’ve experienced them yourself. Then you start to see where the opportunities are and how to make life easier for people in those roles. As long as you’ve got enough ambition to match the ability and vice versa, then automotive is a great industry. It’s been a good journey, that’s for sure.”
Sytner has been owned by the US giant Penske Group, led by the legendary Roger Penske, since 2002. Edwards speaks to the 86-year-old on a weekly basis and says he’s an inspirational figure who has lived through it all. “Nothing fazes him,” he adds.
Much has transformed on Edwards’ watch at Sytner, including being an early pioneer of online sales and introducing a “five-star hotel experience” for customers, ensuring they’re greeted by name. He has also invested heavily in training and developing staff and been rewarded with a turnover of just 14-15% when it’s typically double that in retail.
He keeps a close eye on review scores for dealerships on Google and Trustpilot (“best in town” is the goal for each Sytner dealership, he says), and gets updates at 6.30am each day: “What surprises me is the amount of times people use someone’s name in feedback. Even as the industry becomes more digitised, it is still very much people dealing with people.”
That’s under threat to a degree with the rise of car makers selling directly to customers through an agency model at prices set by them, with the role of the dealer reduced to more of a handover. Edwards says it has “yet to be seen” whether agency is a good or bad thing. Mercedes made the switch early this year, but Edwards speaks warmly of the idea in general because it creates a “more transparent and seamless experience”, and he praises how Mercedes handles it with dealers.
Yet Edwards sees nothing but a strong future for dealerships, not only for those enduring personal relationships but also for the need for aftersales and the business it creates. “In the industry we have ‘absorption’, which is the ability of aftersales to cover the central costs of the business,” he explains. “If you can get that to 100%, then sales would get you the profit on top.”
The group has acquired other dealerships when timings and opportunities have been right, and Edwards ensured Sytner maximised its performance when the brands it represents enjoyed sales booms over the past decade. “We strive to be their best partner, so when opportunities come up, we are their natural choice,” he adds.
Edwards juggles the needs of the 20-plus manufacturers he represents and shareholders in the US. “The days don’t normally drag for me,” he smiles. He tries to visit each dealership at least once every two years, and he always visits those that have been refurbished or recently acquired.
Edwards also loves cars. “I used to sit in class at school drawing Aston Martin DB5 grilles,” he recalls. His personal collection includes a blue 1998 Ferrari 355 that he’s had restored, and he’s just bought a 1973 Porsche 911. After our meeting, he’s off to Grand Prix Racewear to get kitted out ahead of some racing he has planned this season. This love and passion for the cars, the industry and the people working within it shines through as we talk.
“Ever since I handed over my first Orion back in the day, to the letters I get today, there are very few industries that can create that level of excitement,” he says. “That’s why I love it so much.”