LKQ UK and Ireland has committed to grow through collaboration, with Chief Executive Kevan Wooden highlighting the company’s plans for the future at its two-day leadership conference.
In his keynote speech, Wooden outlined his commitment to increasing customer connectivity and outstanding service through one engaged team. Addressing around 800 attendees, including customers, suppliers and colleagues, he discussed the conference’s main theme, Growing Together.
“This year’s conference is all about how we can strengthen relationships and share insights to set the stage for another successful year,” Wooden stated. “With our industry-leading logistics capabilities and the best team in the business, we are making it easier than ever to trade with us. ‘Growing Together’ means listening to our customers, understanding their needs, and delivering the best service.
“This is our unique opportunity as a group of businesses. Each of our trading brands plays a crucial role in our success, strengthening our ability to support across sectors and helping us grow in size, capability, expertise and market influence.”
Milestones discussed at leadership conference
The leadership conference was held at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole Hotel, with VIP speakers including Olympic rower Ben Hunt-Davis and customer service expert, Geoff Ramm.
The group-wide leadership conference focussed on supporting customers through unrivalled service and best-in-class product ranges, to deliver first time, on time, every time, while supporting colleagues by recognising their success and cultivating an engaged and supportive culture.
Day one of the conference saw Wooden and Andy Southby, Chief Commercial Officer for LKQ UK and Ireland, recap the key milestones of the previous year and give teams a glimpse of what is in store for 2025.
Array of speakers
Guests at the leadership conference also heard from Donna Fearnley, Group HR Director at LKQ UK and Ireland, on the business’ people-first approach including its annual engagement surveys and People Adding Value Everywhere (PAVE) internal taskforce, which is responsible for the business’ internship and apprenticeship programmes as well as its community and charity work.
Colleagues also heard from LKQ’s key customers and partners on best practice supplier-customer relationships, spanning the four businesses in the group and the different aftermarket subsectors they serve.
This included Alex Lindley, Director at Garage Hive and Managing Director at Lindleys Autocentres, Mark Darvill, Managing Director at Hillclimb Garage, Sarah Petty, owner of J Petty Motors, Dave Jenkins, British Truck Racing Driver, Marc Holding, Managing Director of The Vella Group and Robert Parton, Managing Director of Aqueduct Maraina and President of British Marine.
Speaking about the leadership conference, Wooden added: “The Leadership Conference brought our colleagues, suppliers and customers together to reflect on our success and progress in the past year and discuss how we can grow together in 2025 and beyond.
“Our winning formula of combining our culture and values with our plan to invest in our proposition and streamline the way we work, will see us continue to deliver market-leading profitable growth as one engaged team – especially as we come into 2025 with a new operating structure that brings us closer to our customers and allows our people to play to their strengths.”
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