eStar further strengthens Board by promoting Kate Howdon to HR Director

eStar, has further strengthened its already accomplished Board by promoting Kate Howdon to HR Director, with immediate effect.

Kate has been in the HR profession for nearly 20 years and is a Chartered Member of the CIPD, holding a master’s degree in human resources management.

During her career, Kate has worked in retail, not-for-profit, medco-legal, and PLC, as well as spending 12 years in the motor trade.

Kate joined eStar in July 2021 from TrustFord, the largest Ford Retail-owned dealer group, where she was regional HR manager, responsible for 13 sites and more than 800 employees in the North West. Prior to this, Kate was HR advisor at Premex Group, a specialist outsourcing organisation offering products and services to the insurance, healthcare, and legal sectors, HR advisor at Manchester Growth Company, a not-for-profit driving economic, personal, and professional development, and HR advisor at Cambria Automobiles, a multi-franchised dealer group.

From digitalising the HR department and building new reward and benefits strategies, to ensuring equal pay across the Group, and developing bespoke training for the Senior Management Team, to implementing a new digital HR and Payroll system, and mentoring new female leaders, Kate has played a pivotal role in shaping the culture at eStar.

Since starting her role at eStar, Kate has personally been shortlisted for four independent industry awards; HR Director of the Year at the HR Excellence Awards 2022, Leader of the Year at the British HR Awards (2022 and 2023), and more recently the Cox Automotive Barbara Cox Woman of the Year 2023.

Commenting on her new role, Kate said: “It’s a huge honour to be promoted onto the Board; I am passionate about eStar and our people, so I’m excited to make even more of a difference now. I’m proud to be the first female onto the eStar Board and hold such an influential position within the commercial vehicle network.”

Steve Bridge, Managing Director at eStar, added: “We’re delighted to welcome Kate to the Board. She has transformed both the HR department and the way that we support and recognise our people here at eStar, taking us all from a start-up with a challenging legacy, as we took over from a failed business, through to being an award-winning, industry-leading place to be for our colleagues.

“With this new position, we have further strengthened our highly accomplished Board, and look forward to working together to ensure the strategic success both of the eStar business and of the eStar team.”