GWM Australia & New Zealand has announced John Kett as its incoming Chief Operating Officer, following the retirement of Hidesuke Takesue. Takesue departs after seven successful years at the helm, during which GWM cemented its position as a Top 10 automotive brand in the region.
With an impressive 35 years of automotive industry experience, Kett brings a wealth of expertise to the role. Most recently, he served as Chief Operating Officer at Hyundai Australia for over five years. His extensive career also includes senior positions with renowned brands such as Holden, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), SsangYong, and SAIC. During his nearly seven years at FCA in Shanghai, Kett held leadership roles such as Vice President, General Manager Operations APAC, Head of the Jeep brand, and APAC CFO.
Kett’s diverse experience across Asia-Pacific markets—including Australia, China, South Korea, New Zealand, Singapore, and Indonesia—has shaped his leadership approach. This cross-cultural expertise was a key factor in his appointment to the COO role at GWM ANZ.
Speaking on his new position, Kett said “I am incredibly excited to be joining GWM, a brand driven by a very talented workforce, partnered with a focused and engaged dealer network, and enabled by an ever-evolving portfolio and technology offering. The sheer weight of numbers behind GWM positions the brand well at a time when customers are most discerning. Redefining and building confidence around the core values that differentiate the GWM brand is key.
“Ensuring tomorrow’s technology is within reach for everyone today will help build and strengthen GWM’s SUV, Ute, and off-road credentials across petrol, diesel, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and EV powertrains—all with 5-star safety standards. This focus will create a strong connection with our customer base, our ‘GWM tribe,’ driving ongoing growth.”
GWM ANZ Managing Director Charles Zhao welcomed Kett to the team, acknowledging the strategic leadership he brings to the business. “We are delighted to have someone with John’s broad industry and cross-cultural experience join us in this important senior role. At the same time, I would like to thank Take-San for his outstanding leadership over the past seven years. His efforts have been instrumental in building the GWM business to what it is today, and we wish him the very best in his retirement.”
Zhao highlighted Kett’s mandate to drive further growth in both brand value and sales volume as the business heads into 2025 and beyond. He added that 2025 is set to be a pivotal year, with the arrival of significantly updated products, including the GWM Cannon and H6, as well as the introduction of advanced plug-in hybrid (PHEV) technology to models like the H6GT, Cannon Alpha, and Tank 500.
Kett will officially commence his new role on Monday, 3 February.
The announcement follows a record-breaking year for GWM in 2024, with 45,954 new vehicles sold across Australia and New Zealand—a testament to the brand’s growing presence in the competitive automotive landscape.
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