Milan, September 2018 – MotorK, the Italian company that is disrupting the entire European automotive distribution industry, has announced a significant new hire in its international executive team: Laela Pakpour Tabrizi will join as Group Chief Financial Officer. Based in MotorK’s London headquarters, she will play a key role in defining and executing its ambitious global strategy.
Ms Pakpour Tabrizi has already proven her ability to support fast growing companies on a financial, strategic and operational level. After her Bachelor of Science degree in International Relations and a Master’s degree in Finance & Strategy, she gained strong experience in investment banking across Europe and the US as Vice President of Structured Finance at BNP Paribas before accepting the role of CFO for VistaJet – the global business aviation company, one of the 5 biggest “unicorns” in Europe.
Laela Pakpour Tabrizi’s impressive career to date and high potential were recently acknowledged when she was selected as a Franco British Young Leader in 2017. The highly prestigious bilateral programme supported by the French and British governments and managed by the Franco British Council aims to create an influential network of talent in the two countries.
The new MotorK Group CFO role is critical at this time, as MotorK is going through an important scaleup phase, in which Mergers & Acquisitions and a robust financial investment strategy will be key elements to support and drive growth. After a $10 million funding Series A funding round in 2017 and the successful acquisition of the Spanish company Punsset, MotorK is likely to identify other companies with a strong presence in the industry who could represent a strategic fit.
MotorK’s fast growth is demonstrated with an employee base which has grown by 200 additional hires in 2018. Its innovative and global approach has allowed the company to attract some of the most exciting talent from around the world – evidenced by the fact that MotorK’s 300 (and counting) employees come from more than 20 different countries.
«We are sure that Laela will bolster MotorK’s growth trajectory – says Marco Marlia, MotorK’s CEO and co-founder – thanks to her experience in a company like VistaJet, one of the few “unicorns” born in Europe. We are extremely proud of the positive impact and digital thought leadership that MotorK has already been able to achieve in the industry – Our goal is that with such experienced and talented people like Laela in the team, we will keep on changing automotive distribution for the better».
Since it was founded in 2010, MotorK has achieved triple-digit growth year on year. It has offices in Milan, Agrigento, London, Paris, Madrid, Santander and Düsseldorf. Its wide range of products – including DriveK, the largest new car marketplace in Europe, DealerK, a SaaS platform for car dealers, and Internet Motors, the biggest digital automotive event network in EMEA – allow the company to radically advance the European digital automotive market.
