Bowker Motor Group appoints a finance director to strengthen Lancashire operations
Photo by Born & Bred Creative on Unsplash
At the start of May 2020, Bowker Motor Group shared their latest recruit for the finance team, 35-year-old Ben Gornall, the new financial director. Gornall is familiar with the Bowker family automobile group, having worked as a financial controller for the past years within the Bowker Motor Group. Gornall’s position will be instrumental in driving the development of lesser-known sides of the automotive retail group. Along with the Group Chief Officer and the finance director at Bowker Transport, Ben Gornall will help develop financial synergies across the Lancashire businesses that operate under the Bowker name.
Bowker’s move to develop regional operations in the North through dedicated financial strategies joins a long trend validated by the financial sector. Business development in the North currently relies on finance expertise rather than sales and marketing know-how, as demonstrated by specialist lender Together, whose latest business development manager for the North of England brings lending experience to support its broker network. This begs an important question for business growth: How can financial expertise drive sustainable business relationships?
Perhaps, we owe it to the Bowker Motor Group’s new finance director, Ben Gornall, to explain the importance of the finance sector in interpersonal relationships. “I joined Bowker Motor Group as Porsche Centre Preston was being built. It was an exciting experience to be part of the team that took a new business from plans to reality – now employing over 40 people.” Indeed, in his role as part of the finance team, Gornall witnessed first-hand the growth of the Bowker group, from identifying new dealership opportunities to ordering custom made name badges from places such as The Pin Factory for the growing team.
Based on Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures, the North West of England is leading the way in new business development and creation. The entrepreneurial spirit of the region can benefit from financial expertise from professionals such as Ben Gornall to unlock access to investment and operational cost strategies, contributing to the construction of fast-growing, sustainable business ecosystems that can retain talent in the North.
Combined with the Great Exodus of the pandemic, traditional talent and finance hubs in London and the South East region now face new challenges. Finance experts can help build new paths in the North West and North East of England to develop business relationships that encompass the regional values without compromising investment access, professional skills availability, and quality of life.
Brexit also encourages finance experts to remain in the North of England rather than relocating to London. As London has officially lost its status as a European financial centre, it eliminates the unfair financial monopoly across the UK. Regions are in a position to secure financial investment and growth through strategic experts, such as at the Bowker Motor Group. The growth efforts are also met with greater demand following the pandemic and Brexit exodus out of London and the opportunity to find remote talent all across the country.
In conclusion, Bowker Group, along with countless other North businesses, proves once and for all that the long-forgotten potential of the Northern regions is alive and blooming. Finance experts are instrumental in redirecting funds and talents from all around the UK to support growth and business relationships in the North of England.
