Inchcape Philippines eyes further strategic growth with appointment of new Country Head

Inchcape Philippines formally announced strategic leadership changes within the organization. This comes shortly after Inchcape Philippines celebrated its first anniversary in the country after a year of solid business growth and development.

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Inchcape Plc (“Inchcape”), the leading global automotive distributor, officially entered the Philippines in August 2023 through the formalization of a joint venture with CATS Group of Companies (“CATS”), the leading distributor of luxury vehicles in the country.

Since its incorporation, Inchcape Philippines has grown from strength to strength. Besides the appointment by Changan International Corporation (“Changan”) to distribute Changan vehicles in the country, Inchcape Philippines digitalized the business, launched new facilities and showrooms, expanded aftersales capabilities, and connected the world’s leading automobile brands with the Filipino market. It will also open their state-of-the-art facilities in Pasig later this year which will be home to a Parts Distribution Center and training academy.

These milestones are products of the people who embody the company’s #OneInchcape culture built on effective teamwork, fresh thinking and putting People – both partners, customers and colleagues – at the center of all undertakings. Driving business performance across all organizational levels, these shared values have led to Inchcape Philippines’ certification by Great Place To Work (“GPTW”) – the first GPTW-certified Inchcape company in the South Asia & Pacific region.

As Inchcape Philippines continues along its path to powering better mobility in the rapidly growing Philippine market, strategic leadership changes have been made to enable further progress.

With effect from 9 August, Alex Hammett relinquishes his double-hatted role as Head of Inchcape Philippines to focus on driving growth across the region as Managing Director, South Asia & Pacific. The region comprises the growth markets of Philippines, Thailand, Brunei, Guam, Saipan and Micronesia. Alex will continue to be based in the Philippines.

Alongside Alex Hammett, Frankie Ang, Chief Operating Officer of Inchcape Philippines, will be exiting his operating role in the business by the end of the year. In his 12 years with CATS, Frankie managed operations, business development, and government relations. Since the incorporation of Inchcape Philippines, Frankie played pivotal roles in ensuring operations continuity and business growth. With operations on track at an exciting phase of strategic development, Frankie is confident in the company’s continued success and plans to exit to pursue his other business interests. He will remain as a Board Member of Inchcape Philippines.

From 9 August, Alex Yap succeeds Alex Hammett as the Philippines business leader and is appointed as the Country Head of Inchcape Philippines. Alex Yap continues to be a part of the South Asia & Pacific leadership team.

Alex is a veteran with more than 25 years of experience in the automotive industry. He joined Inchcape in 2017 as the Sales & Distribution Director of Inchcape Singapore where he led the digital transformation of retail sales, digitalizing the customer experience journey. Alex was also the Managing Director of Inchcape Guam & Saipan (also known as Atkins Kroll) in the Pacific from 2022 to 2024 where he was instrumental in raising business operations efficiency through digitalization and transforming the business to one which is customer-centric and a place where talents are being developed. Prior to Inchcape, Alex managed Super Luxury Marques including Rolls-Royce, Lamborghini, Jaguar Land Rover and McLaren, and handled Commercial Vehicles from Japanese and Chinese OEMs.

In his new role, Alex Yap will spearhead distribution, retail and service excellence with global mobility partners – Mercedes-Benz, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram, Jaguar and Land Rover, Changan Auto, Mazda, Harley-Davidson, and Daimler Commercial Vehicles in the Philippines.

Frankie Ang, Chief Operating Officer, Inchcape Philippines, commented:

“Inchcape Philippines was born from the ambition to be the undisputed distribution partner for mobility companies in the country. The progress we made in one year is astounding and is a true testament to our people who work to drive better operational performance and deliver exceptional customer experiences. As Inchcape Philippines ushers in a new era for mobility, I will be working closely with Alex Yap, our new Country Head, to ensure seamless continuity and further business success.”

Alex Yap, Country Head, Inchcape Philippines, commented:

“As the automotive industry continues to undergo rapid change, the Philippines presents an exciting opportunity to leverage our digital capabilities to further grow our distribution business with our mobility partners. I thank Alex and Frankie for their trust in me to lead the Inchcape Philippines team in powering great experiences for our customers and delivering value for all our stakeholders.”

Alex Hammett, Managing Director, Inchcape South Asia & Pacific, commented:

“The Philippines is a key territory in driving forward with our Accelerate strategy. This strategic leadership succession is a sign of our commitment to build on the momentum and accomplishments achieved since we officially entered the market last year. I thank Frankie for his invaluable contributions to the establishment of Inchcape Philippines and positioning it for its future, and I am confident in Alex Yap to lead the business in my stead. With his long industry track record and vast experience in utilizing technology to propel businesses, I look forward to seeing Alex drive Inchcape Philippines further forward in powering mobility across the country.”