Inchcape PH names new country head; Frankie Ang to step back as COO

Inchcape Philippines has just celebrated its first year as an automotive distributor in the country. After forming a joint venture with the CATS group of companies, Inchcape PH took over the distribution of Mercedes-Benz, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, Jaguar Land Rover, and Changan vehicles, as well as dealer operations for Mazda, Harley-Davidson Motorcycles, and Daimler Commercial Vehicles.

As it enters its second year, Inchcape Philippines has announced strategic leadership changes within the organization.

Starting today, August 9, Alex Hammett is relinquishing his double-hatted role as Head of Inchcape Philippines. He will continue to be based in the Philippines but will focus more on driving growth across the region as Managing Director of South Asia & the Pacific. The region comprises the markets of the Philippines, Thailand, Brunei, Guam, Saipan, and Micronesia.

Meanwhile, Frankie Ang, the Chief Operating Officer of Inchcape Philippines, will likewise step back from his operating role in the business by the end of the year. After managing operations, business development, and government relations with CATS Motors for over a decade, Ang will be taking on a much more relaxed role as a board member and shareholder of Inchcape Philippines.

We were able to speak with the outgoing COO after hearing of the management changes, and Ang has shared with us a few more details regarding the matter.

"Yes it's true," said Frankie Ang. "I had asked my family and Inchcape if I may step out of the day-to-day operations and remain as a board member instead, and they agreed."

"I am involved in and manage other businesses outside of Inchcape Philippines. Given the time demands of the COO role in our growing business, it was getting harder and harder for me to juggle everything at the same time, and felt it best to hand over my responsibilities to someone who can focus on it full time," continued Ang. "I’ll remain until the end of the year to make sure my successor is well adjusted and will still be around as a board member and shareholder."

With Hammett and Ang taking on new roles in the company, the distributor has named Alex Yap as the new Country Head of Inchcape Philippines.

Yap has more than 25 years of experience in the automotive industry. He joined Inchcape in 2017 as the Sales & Distribution Director of Inchcape Singapore where he led the digital transformation of retail sales, digitalizing the customer experience journey. He was also the Managing Director of Inchcape Guam & Saipan (also known as Atkins Kroll) in the Pacific from 2022 to 2024 where he was instrumental in raising business operations efficiency through digitalization and transforming the business to one which is customer-centric and a place where talents are being developed.

Prior to Inchcape, Alex managed luxury brands that include Rolls-Royce, Lamborghini, Jaguar Land Rover, and McLaren, and also handled Commercial Vehicles from Japanese and Chinese OEMs.

In his new role, Alex Yap will spearhead distribution, retail, and service excellence with global mobility partners - Mercedes-Benz, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram, Jaguar and Land Rover, Changan Auto, Mazda, Harley-Davidson, and Daimler Commercial Vehicles in the Philippines.

“As the automotive industry continues to undergo rapid change, the Philippines presents an exciting opportunity to leverage our digital capabilities to further grow our distribution business with our mobility partners. I thank Alex and Frankie for their trust in me to lead the Inchcape Philippines team in powering great experiences for our customers and delivering value for all our stakeholders.” said Alex Yap, new Country Head of Inchcape Philippines.