Director

Derek Gentles
Director

On the inside:
Brought up in the birthplace of Peter Pan in Kirriemuir. Derek is somewhat more sure-footed, known for his sense of humour and as a superb motivator, Derek’s career in the motor trade began as an Apprentice Mechanic in 1972 with County Garage in Lanark where he served out his apprenticeship. He progressed to Foreman Mechanic at Stout Brothers, moving swiftly up the ladder to Service Manager and then Branch Manager.

Crossing into manufacturer territory, Derek became Head of Aftersales at Peugeot in 1984 and also spent 5 years with Fiat before coming back to the dealer side of the business with Peoples Ford as a director. He then joined John Clark Group as general manager with their Volkswagen outlets in Fife and Edinburgh before finding his rightful place with the John Martin Group in 2001 initially as General Manager of our Glasgow based Chrysler Jeep dealership, progressing to Divisional Manager in 2004 overseeing our Suzuki, Lotus and Aston Martin sites. Having then looked after all of the group’s Vauxhall and Chrysler Jeep and Dodge centres for the last four years, in 2009 Derek was appointed Director of the John Martin Group.

Life on the outside:
Derek loves outdoor life whether it’s enjoying watching football or engaging in his passion for clay pigeon shooting. He’s a great entertainer of his niece and nephew, and like his fellow directors, likes nothing more than sharing a great meal and a beer or two with his family.