Former Ford, VW and Audi exec announces role with Sino-Brit make.

A STRONG advocate of electric vehicle acceptance in New Zealand has become the latest senior motor industry executive to oversee ambitious Sino-Brit make MG.

Set to become country manager for MG Motor in NZ on August 11, Dean Sheed has a high profile in the national new car scene.

He has been part of the industry for almost 40 years, beginning with Ford New Zealand in 1987, where he rose to being marketing manager, then stepping up to become an important executive with the Giltrap Group’s European Motor Distributors.

He was general manager of Volkswagen for 13 years then ran Audi NZ for 11 years; a period in which he was at the forefront of advocating electric product, with Audi’s e-tron models at the forefront, but also being a strident voice for technology advocate Drive Electric.

MG also has been a big driver of electric fare, and enjoyed market success with its ZS then its MG4 products until the market abruptly lost pace with curtailment of subsidies in 2023 and the introduction of Road User Charges last year.

While MG has not pulled any electric cars, it has seen significant reduction in penetration and recently announced it would prioritise hybrid cars.

The brand has seemed to be a challenge; Sheed is set to be MG’s eighth country business manager since it set up in 2018.

Harrie Yan, formerly the business director for MG Motor Australia, had stepped into the role last July, albeit as chief operating officer.

Sheed announced his new role on LinkedIn. He said he was keen to lead the brand’s continued expansion and commercial performance.

“It’s an exciting opportunity to work with one of the fastest-growing automotive brands in the region — a company that blends rich heritage with modern innovation, agility, and momentum.

“In this role, I’ll be partnering closely with our dealer network and fleet customers to drive sales growth, strengthen showroom performance, and build our presence and customer proposition nationwide.”