Head of Dealer Development

Position Overview

Known for its dominance in the Canadian Automotive Industry and its innovative business practices, Dilawri continues its growth trajectory and is excited to add a new senior role to its leadership team;
Head of Dealer Development.

The Head of Dealer Development is responsible for leading the strategic growth, acquisition, development, and performance optimization of the organization’s dealership network. This executive role drives market expansion initiatives, evaluates and executes dealership acquisition opportunities, oversees greenfield and redevelopment projects, and ensures operational readiness for new and existing locations. Working closely with executive leadership and cross‑functional teams, the Head of Dealer Development identifies growth opportunities, manages key stakeholder relationships, and develops scalable strategies that strengthen the company’s market presence, profitability, and long‑term competitive position.

The ideal candidate combines executive automotive OEM experience, business development acumen, financial analysis capabilities, and project leadership experience to successfully execute the organization’s growth objectives.

• Lead identification and evaluation of new growth opportunities across existing and prospective markets, including dealership expansion, point relocations, add‑point opportunities, and brand adjacency strategies.
• Conduct and/or oversee market intelligence: demographic trend analysis, competitive landscape mapping, regional market dynamics, and OEM performance benchmarking to support strategic recommendations.
• Build a prioritized, data‑driven opportunity pipeline and present recommendations to executive leadership/ownership with clear rationale, risks, and investment requirements.

• Establish and maintain effective relationships with OEM partners and industry stakeholders; serve as a key point of contact on network planning and growth opportunities.
• Document, track, and maximize on OEM programs (including award/recognition, variable margin programs, and other KPIs such as market share, sales effectiveness, and peer performance).
• Monitor OEM scorecards/awards and requirements; partner internally to address gaps and maintain compliance with OEM standards and expectations.
• Work closely with the Operations teams to maximize opportunities aligned with the respective OEM as identified above.

• Oversee administration and documentation of OEM agreements, including dealership sales & service agreements, NADAP, performance agreements.
• Implement standardized internal controls for agreement intake, critical‑date tracking, obligations management, and executive reporting.

• Lead development of business cases, financial models, proposals, and go‑to‑market strategies for market opportunities, ensuring analytic rigor and clear ROI logic.
• Produce board/ownership‑ready materials: market studies, statistics tables, and investment analyses (CapEX, return, sensitivity, downside risk), reflecting the “hands‑on” analytical expectations already set for this function.

• Support M&A activity through market analysis, target evaluation, and post‑acquisition administration (including OEM documentation and network requirements).
• Coordinate cross‑functionally with Finance, Operations, HR, IT, Marketing, and regional leadership to align on opportunity prioritization and execution.
• Develop a pro‑active strategy to identify independent dealerships approaching generational transition or succession events, positioning the group as a preferred acquirer.

• Develop and execute dealership growth strategies in partnership with global automotive manufacturers expanding into Canada, aligning network development, market opportunities, and retail operations to support sustainable growth.
• Help grow the footprint with these OEM’s from initial Phase 1 state to aspirational growth targets to ensure strong penetration and profitability maximization.
• Serve as key point of contact with these…