Autoquake appoints former Expedia president to CEO role

by James Quilter , Brand Republic 27-Nov-09, 15:00

LONDON - Online used car retailer Autoquake has appointed former Expedia president Dermot Halpin as its next CEO.

Halpin replaces former Autoquake CEO and co-founder Garry Hobson who has left the company to take on a similar role with competitor site Motors.co.uk.

Speaking about the appointment Fergal Mullen, general partner with Autoquake investor Capital Partners, said: "Over the past five years Autoquake.com has developed an excellent e-commerce platform to sell fleet cars directly to consumers.

"Dermot is a world-class e-commerce expert and brings deep online experience in one of the most dynamic and competitive online markets. The company is now ready to take the next big step in its growth and we are delighted to welcome Dermot in his new role as CEO of Autoquake.com."

Halpin joined Expedia as UK operations director in 2001 before taking on the position of European president in 2006.

Prior to Expedia he held a number of roles with Swedish telecoms company Tele2. He left Expedia in November 2008 following a restructure of the company's global management team.