Cian, 39, has more than two decades in the automotive industry, including leading the sales operation of Audi UK, AUDI AG’s fourth-largest market, since 2014. He is responsible for the strong, profitable increase in annual sales and helping expand the brand’s market share in a tight premium market in the UK. Since September, he has served as the interim director of Audi UK. Cian spent the majority of his 22-year career on the retail side of the industry. Before joining Audi UK, he was director of SEAT Ireland, leading that brand to its largest market share position after a 50 percent annual sales increase. Before that, Cian was general manager of Aftersales for Audi Ireland, Used Car/Fleet Manager for Audi Ireland and a brand director at Kevin O’Leary Motor Group. He began his automotive career as a salesman at a Volkswagen Audi dealership while in college. A native of Cork, Ireland, Cian graduated from the Cork Institute of Technology and earned a Master’s degree in management from University College Dublin’s Smurfit Business School. He is a rugby player, triathlete and a qualified rescue diver. He and his wife, Joanne, have three children. Cian succeeds Mark Del Rosso, who was appointed president and chief executive officer of Bentley Motors in the Americas, effective June 1. In his nearly nine years of leadership at Audi, Mark grew the new cars sales business by 140 percent, recorded seven consecutive years of record sales, strengthened the financial health of the dealer network and managed profitable growth to ensure greater franchise value. His efforts resulted in one of the most optimistic dealer groups in the premium market, as measured by the NADA survey.