DETROIT -

Former General Motors International director of marketing and customer experience Mark Harland will join automotive professional services and technology company motormindz as a senior partner. In making the announcement, motormindz described Harland as “a global leader with an appetite for change and innovation.”

Harland’s more than 20 years of global automotive experience at General Motors includes positions in sales operations, brand building and customer experience. Working in locations in North America, Europe, Asia, Middle East, Africa and Australia, he has helped gain brand alignment, improve CSI/NPS, and improve sales, according to motormindz.

Six years ago, Harland moved to Asia, and he has overseen regional marketing and customer experience teams for GM International based in Shanghai and Singapore.

In a more recent position as executive director, marketing, Harland in 2017 supported the Holden brand transformation post-manufacturing closure. 

Currently based in Melbourne, Australia, Harland is working in his areas of passion such as e-mobility, electric vehicles and online retail innovation. In those areas, he oversees consulting projects for AGL, which is Australia's largest energy supplier, according to motormindz. He also oversees consulting projects for Gumtree/eBay.

Supporting the online retail/dealership of the future transformation and providing strategic advice for EV/AV and other mobility initiatives will be Harland’s areas of focus.

Motormindz founder and chief executive officer Jeff Van Dongen said in a news release that Harland’s passion for innovation is “a perfect fit for our entrepreneurial culture.”

“Mark grew up at the dealership, so he has a unique ability to understand the retail environment, as well as thinking about next steps and trends that are impacting the automotive industry worldwide,” Van Dongen said. “Importantly, this is a significant step towards expanding on our global team given Mark's experience and contacts in APAC, where he is still based.”

Harland said that all over the world, the automotive industry is undergoing dramatic changes, “helping to further establish motormindz' international footprint, [creating] an opportunity to connect across a team of global industry experts to provide some direction, and  future driven solutions, during a time of intense disruption for OEMs and dealers alike.”

He added, “This team has lived through many of the changes and understand[s] the need to balance the day-to-day business solutions with innovative ideas that will drive growth in the future. It's an exciting time to join a team [that] will play an important role in the evolution of our industry.”