SEATCUPRA.NET Editor’s note. I have had the pleasure of speaking to Richard on a number of occasions, usually on car launches, sitting next to him at CUPRA’s anniversary event in Spain and on a few coach journeys from the airport. He has always been willing to spend the time to share his thoughts and listen to ours and has been a supporter of our community alongside his team for many years. I’m sure you will join me in wishing him the best for the future.
Scott, SEATCUPRA.NET
Release follows
Richard Harrison, Director of SEAT and CUPRA UK, is to take a well-earned career break after 16 years with Volkswagen Group.
During his time leading these two dynamic brands, Richard has turned SEAT into a household name, peaking at 3% market share and nearly 70,000 sales in 2019. Unperturbed by the pandemic, Richard has driven tremendous success for our new start-up brand CUPRA during the last four years, creating a new retail network, launching an award-winning new product range, and creating a dynamic, exciting new brand that has already overtaken Tesla and Polestar in brand desirability1. The success is clear for all to see, with CUPRA one of the fastest-growing brands in the UK.
Harrison joined the Group as Head of Sales for SEAT UK in 2007, subsequently moving to SEAT HQ in Barcelona as Sales Director, West Europe in 2011. Following a stint as Global Network Development Director, Richard returned to the UK in 2015 to lead the SEAT brand, before adding responsibility for the exciting new CUPRA start-up brand to his role in 2018.
Commenting on his departure, Volkswagen Group UK Managing Director, Alex Smith said: ‘Richard’s energy, creativity and undefeatable attitude have been key to SEAT and CUPRA’s success, be that launching the ground-breaking SEAT Stores and the SEAT Easy Product offer back in 2016, to going first with our Group-wide MEB Agency transformation with CUPRA Born over the last year’.
‘With CUPRA now solidly established as an unstoppable impulse, and the next phase of new products arriving in 2024-25, Richard has chosen the best possible point to hand over the mantle to a new leader, while he takes a well-earned rest with his family, before heading off to enjoy travelling the world.’
Richard’s last day with the organisation will be 31 August 2023, his successor will be announced in due course.