Rachael Thompson joined Mercedes’ UK operation in 2018 as sales director after moving from Jaguar Land Rover, where she had been UK sales director responsible for all new and used sales in one company’s key markets. At Mercedes, Thompson is responsible for overseeing the brands’ stated ambition to move to selling direct to customers by 2023, a big shift from the current model of wholesaling to dealers. She entered the automotive business in 1993 when she joined Ford after gaining a degree in accountancy from the University of Huddersfield. She came to JLR in 2013 from the VW Group, having risen to the role of national used car manager for Audi.