Yutong and its Australian distributor Vehicle Dealers International (VDI) has announced the appointment of Paul Lancaster to the position of Queensland Account Manager.
Lancaster is not new to the Australian bus and coach industry, having obtained his trade qualifications in vehicle building with Austral Denning.
It is Lancaster’s experience of more than 10 years as National Fleet Manager for the country’s largest national express operator, as well as having held the role of National Service Manager for both Mills-Tui and Irizar Asia Pacific, and Production Manager for VDI, that sets Lancaster apart.
VDI National Sales and Marketing Manager Sara Clark says Lancaster’s appointment is a significant addition to the national sales team, with Lancaster’s appointment underscoring VDI’s customer centric approach.
“Paul brings extensive experience in heavy vehicle manufacturing, servicing and operations,” Clark told ABC.
“Being able to support customers by firstly knowing the Yutong product, but also understanding the operational and service challenges, is a unique skill set and a substantial value-add that Paul can bring to our customers.”
Lancaster says: “My role as production manager provided the perfect exposure to the Yutong product, and I am excited about transitioning into my role in sales and being able to share this knowledge with our customers.”
Lancaster’s appointment comes at a time when VDI’s Brisbane operations have moved into new facilities at Eagle Farm. The state-of-the-art facility will facilitate both increased capacity for vehicle servicing and new vehicle pre-delivery, and also enable expansion of the company’s Queensland vehicle manufacturing and assembly operations.
Lancaster’s appointment will support the introduction of a number of new vehicle models by Yutong to the Australian market in the coming months, including the D7E battery electric bus and C10 Euro 6 model.