Former pupil, John Clark (Class of 1991) joined the School for our most recent Business Breakfast on Thursday 1st December.

John is the Chief Commercial Officer for Arnold Clark Motor Group, the UK’s largest independently owned, family-run car retailer.

Whilst studying for his BA Town & Country Planning, and latterly his MSc in Marketing, John gained vital experience in his family’s business. Officially joining the company in 1996, he has worked across all areas of the business giving him a comprehensive overview of how the company works. Come 1999, he received his first appointment within a managerial capacity at the Helensburgh Ford site.

Throughout his 26 years with Arnold Clark, John has held a variety of positions. These include Franchise/Brand Manager, Group Franchise Director, and most recently Chief Commercial Officer. Furthermore, John was responsible for leading one of the UK’s largest Volkswagen retailers and establishing Arnold Clark’s car-buying service.

Due to his services to the motor industry, John also found himself the recipient of the Strathclyde University Stellar Leadership Award.

Over the years, John has witnessed many of Arnold Clark’s milestones, such as reaching 300,000 car sales in one year. Not only was the company the first UK motor-dealer to surpass £100 million in profit, but also the first to exceed £200 million in profit.

Currently, Arnold Clark is aiming to sell 500,000 cars by 2025. At the same time, the company are committed to reducing their carbon footprint by 33% by 2030.

Interested in attending more of our Business Breakfasts? Then please have a look at our events page.

Would you like to participate in one of our future Business Breakfast events? If so, please contact our External Relations team at development@hsog.co.uk.