Joe King has been appointed as the Head of Audi India, effective September 1st, 2013. He takes over from Michael Perschke who will move as Head of Network Strategy and Business Management, international level, at AUDI AG. Educated at the University of Melbourne, Joe King brings more than 23 years of automotive experience to the role, having commenced his career with Toyota in 1990. He has extensive experience with both mass and premium market brands including Toyota, BMW and Audi in Australia and has experience in both retail and wholesale roles within the automotive industry. Joe King moves to Audi India from Audi Australia, where he played an integral role in the Management team of Audi Australia Pty Ltd. As General Manager and Dealer Principal of Audi Australia’s wholly-owned retail subsidiary, Audi Centre Sydney, Joe King was responsible, over the last four years, for the management, development and direction of the dealership operations. From 1996 until 2009, Joe King held various roles with BMW Group Australia including Managing Director of BMW Sydney and General Manager of Sales. He also held the position of General Manager of Sales at BMW Melbourne, along with the role of Finance and Insurance Manager. Michael Perschke, who moved to Audi India in July 2010, played an instrumental role in the success of Audi in the Indian car market, taking the brand from 3003 cars in 2010 to 9003 cars in 2012. During his tenure, Audi India aggressively expanded its product portfolio and network and emerged as the Number 1 luxury car brand in India for the financial year 2012-2013. Audi India continues to lead the luxury car market in India, with a sale of 5551 cars during the period January – July 2013, a growth of 19 percent (January to July 2012: 4680 cars). The company recently opened a new dealership, Audi Delhi Central, its 3rd dealership in Delhi. Audi plans to expand its network to 34 dealerships by the end of 2013 from its existing 27 centers. Dealerships were also opened in Mumbai South, Lucknow and Bhubaneswar earlier this year. Further developments include Visakhapatnam, Noida and Vadodara among others.