Three new regional managers from backgrounds such as retail, recruitment, training and call centre management have been recruited by The Warranty Group as part of a drive to identify new ideas and skills.

The trio – Robert Brown, Kerry Jones and Gavin Smith - will spend periods of up to 12 months working in dealerships in order to gain a firsthand insight into the aftersales environment. At the end, they should take up their posts within the company.

Ian Simpson, sales and marketing director at The Warranty Group, said: “Our practice for many years has been to largely recruit from within the motor industry because it is essential for our regional managers to have a very thorough understanding of the way that dealerships work.

“However, we have become increasingly aware that what the key driver for our business in recent years has been the application of new skills and ideas to the process of selling warranties and service plans.

“Because of this, it makes sense for us to look further afield to people who can bring new thinking to the motor industry, and this is why we have looked beyond our sector for our new regional managers.”

Simpson added that, so far, the policy was reaping rewards. Two regional managers were placed with dealerships and were already providing some fresh perspectives, with the third about to begin work.

He said: “It is still early days but we are very happy with the start that the new recruits have made. They have a refreshing energy and attitude to new ideas, concepts and procedures. We are very confident that they will bring something new to the business that will benefit our customers.”