Case Studies

Renault Australia

Case Study: Building a High-Performance Leadership Team to Drive Growth and Transformation

Renault Australia is part of the global Renault Group, a brand with more than 125 years of automotive heritage and a strong focus on innovation and sustainable mobility.

Operating from its Australian headquarters in Victoria, Renault Australia distributes passenger vehicles, SUVs, electric vehicles and light commercial vans through a national dealer network. The business combines global brand strength with a local market agenda focused on commercial performance, customer engagement, dealer network effectiveness and future mobility.

As the automotive sector continued to evolve, Renault Australia engaged Galvin-Rowley Executive to support a series of senior leadership appointments across finance, marketing, sales and aftersales. The objective was to build a cohesive, future-ready leadership team capable of supporting growth, transformation and operational performance.

Renault Australia

Case Study: Building a High-Performance Leadership Team to Drive Growth and Transformation

The Challenge

Renault Australia was entering a pivotal phase of change. The business was operating in a highly competitive automotive market, while also responding to shifts in consumer expectations, electric vehicle adoption and new mobility models.

The leadership requirement extended beyond technical functional expertise. Renault needed senior leaders who could operate in a network-based business, engage effectively with dealers and customers, and work within a matrixed global organisation.

Key priorities included strengthening commercial performance, elevating brand positioning, improving dealer network outcomes and enhancing the ownership experience through aftersales capability.

The appointments also needed to align with Renault’s broader strategic direction, including sustainability, electrification and operational performance.

Our Solution

Galvin-Rowley Executive delivered a structured executive search program across four critical leadership functions: Chief Financial Officer, Marketing Director, Sales Director and Aftersales Director.

The process began with comprehensive market mapping across automotive OEMs and distributors, as well as adjacent sectors including FMCG, retail, mobility and industrials. This allowed Galvin-Rowley Executive to identify leaders with strong commercial acumen, experience in network-based business models and proven capability in transformation-led environments.

Galvin-Rowley Executive worked closely with Renault Australia’s leadership team to refine each role in line with the broader business agenda. The focus was on appointing leaders who could contribute individually while also strengthening the collective performance of the executive team.

The search and assessment process considered leadership agility, stakeholder engagement, cultural alignment and the ability to operate within a collaborative, innovation-led environment. Particular emphasis was placed on candidates who could balance local market execution with the expectations of a global automotive brand.

Galvin-Rowley Executive also partnered closely with local executive leadership, regional and global stakeholders, and HR and talent teams to ensure alignment on success profiles, decision-making and candidate experience.

The Impact

Galvin-Rowley Executive successfully supported Renault Australia in building a cohesive leadership team across finance, marketing, sales and aftersales.

The appointments strengthened capability in key areas of the business, including financial governance, brand positioning, dealer network performance, commercial execution, aftersales operations and customer experience.

Collectively, the leadership group was positioned to support Renault Australia’s growth ambitions, contribute to EV transition and innovation initiatives, and drive stronger commercial outcomes in a changing automotive market.

Key Placements

Galvin-Rowley Executive supported four senior appointments across Renault Australia’s leadership team.

Chief Financial Officer: strengthening financial discipline, strategic planning, cost optimisation and investment decision support
Marketing Director: elevating brand positioning, digital engagement and customer connection in a competitive market
Sales Director: improving dealer network performance, market share growth and customer acquisition
Aftersales Director: enhancing service, parts, customer lifetime value and the ownership experience

Together, these roles strengthened the commercial and operational leadership capability required to support Renault Australia’s next phase of growth.

Renault Australia’s engagement with Galvin-Rowley Executive demonstrates the value of an advisory-led approach to senior appointments in complex, competitive markets.

By connecting talent strategy with business priorities, Galvin-Rowley Executive helped Renault Australia strengthen the leadership capability required to navigate industry disruption, improve commercial performance and support long-term growth.

What Our Clients Say

Jennifer’s management of the candidate side of searches is exemplary. Too often, candidates are left wondering where we are in the process, what’s next, and, without good advice, going into interviews. Jennifer and her team are the opposite of this. I felt informed about the process and given background on the hiring company and its executives, enabling me to move confidently into interviews. Jennifers always delivered on the promised timing of updates. Her attention to detail on the client side of the recruitment is precise and focused. It has been a pleasure to work with Jennifer, and I can highly recommend her services.

Allison Smith

Board Chair, Dandenong Market

I first met Jennifer as a candidate. Having touched most of the major search firms as a candidate for executive roles and experienced first-hand their generally low level of candidate care, I have had no hesitation in recommending Jennifer to colleagues who are searching for a new job, or in using her myself as a preferred provider when in need of HR staff.

Mike Johnson

Former HR Director, SKILLED Group

Jen has really invested in understanding our culture and what attributes to look for to ensure a seamless team-fit. In addition, her definition of quality and high-calibre is the same as ours.
That makes life so much easier, and means we are consistently forced to make tough choices at the end of a relatively short recruitment period.
What else could we ask? Highly professional, and a calmly positive influence on us all.

Russell Parker

CEO, Kikki.K
Former CEO, Hallmark International

Galvin-Rowley Executive is a boutique executive placement agency that delivers above and beyond service with integrity to its clients.
The Director, Jennifer Galvin-Rowley, takes the time to understand her clients’ needs and then searches through her amazing network of contacts to find the right people for the right jobs.
Whilst I was CEO of BeyondBlue, Jennifer and her team were a delight to work with and I wouldn’t go anywhere else if I was looking for a key executive.

Dawn O’Neil, AM

Former CEO, BeyondBlue

For nine months we’d searched in vain for a HSE Manager. This was a difficult project: candidates were scarce, our standards were high, and the role was in the country.
When Jen was referred to us, she stood above the other recruiters for three reasons: she dealt in specialist OH&S Managers; she knew how to fill rural roles; and she didn’t advertise—she searched.
Jen approached the task with imagination. Her ideas were unusual, yet so logical. She handled candidates with promptness and respect, and we swiftly found and hired a great fit. I therefore suggest you let Jen recruit your next manager.

Jim Cooper

Former CEO, Port of Portland
Former Managing Director and CEO, Terragen Holdings Limited
Chair Audit & Risk Management Committee and Non-Executive Director, Dandenong Market
CEO, Continence Health Australia