The 2013 BusinessCar Power List has more new names in it than any of our previous seven lists. There are 17 in total – four whose influence in their existing role has grown in the past 12 months, while the other 13 have moved in to lead organisations such as trade bodies or the corporate operations such as manufacturers or leasing firms.
It’s been an otherwise steady and fairly unspectacular 12 months for a market gently growing and recovering from the past few years of difficulty, with the top 10 consisting entirely of new entries (five) or people holding onto the same spot they occupied in 2012.
The feedback to the Power List is always interesting, but it’s our honest interpretation of not only where we feel people sit in terms of both hard numbers for manufacturers and leasing companies, but also of factors such as an individual’s influence and impact in the marketplace as well as their standing. Feel free to let us know what you think.
50. Andreas Atkins, British Gas, head of electric vehicle services (New Entry)
As the electric vehicle market continues to gently develop, British Gas is trying to push itself to the fore through manufacturer tie-ups (Volvo being the latest) and charge-point installation.
49. Mike Betts , Motability, chief executive (No Change)
The UK’s single largest fleet is planning for a potential 93,000 reduction in numbers as a result of Government cuts to disability payments. That will still leave it with well over half a million vehicles on its books, and may not dent numbers as much as feared due to new customers entering the scheme, as only one-in-three eligible people take a vehicle at present.
48. Antonio Tajani, European Commission, vice-president (up 2)
Tajani is leading the EU’s push towards car and CV manufacturers improving their environmental credentials, including the Euro6 emissions legislation and longer-term CO2 targets that will carry financial penalties for non-compliance.
47. Jane Urquhart, Nottingham City Council, portfolio holder for transport and planning (up 9)
The driving force behind Nottingham’s workplace parking levy, which increased its charges this year so firms with 10 or more spaces are charged £335 per space. Other cities are watching closely, although Bristol has reportedly abolished plans to follow in the wake of Nottingham’s implementation.
46. Kaye Ceille, Avis-Budget UK, managing director (No Change)
The rental firm’s reach expanded this year when Avis-Budget acquired car-sharing leader Zipcar in a deal worth more than £300m, and the firm also offers specific vehicles with emissions under 110g/km through Avis Eco.
45. Michael Hawes, Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders, chief executive (New Entry)
Hawes recently replaced Paul Everitt as boss of the SMMT, an organisation that recently revised its new car market predictions up to 2.2 million. He joins from Bentley, where he held “a number of” PR, corporate and public affairs roles.
44. Keith Allen, ARI, managing director (down 31)
Allen moved last year from ALD Automotive to ARI, as the firm formerly known as Fleet Support Group is now branded following an acquisition by the US’s number two fleet management firm. ARI’s ambitions for the firm it acquired in late 2011 mean he stays within the top 50 in 2013.
43. Larry Nitz, General Motors, executive director, global electrification (New Entry)
Nitz leads GM’s team that’s responsible for batteries, propulsion systems, controls and integration of GM hybrid and electric vehicles, so is the driving force behind the Vauxhall Ampera that has picked up so many awards, including the European Car of the Year prize in 2012, and BusinessCar 2013 Green Car of the Year and the 2012 Techie award in the green category. The 27g/km range-extender is currently the most viable pioneer of the switch towards ultra-low emission motoring.
42. Tim Buchan, Zenith, managing director (down 2)
It’s been another year of strong development for Zenith’s core areas of salary sacrifice and the Pulse platform that won the fleet management category of the BusinessCar Fleet Technology Awards for the second year in a row.
41. Martin Wilson, Hyundai, fleet director (New Entry)
Hyundai broke strongly into the top 10 of business car registrations in 2012 and has continued to grow off the back of excellent product combined with ever-improving whole-life costs. The running costs are driven by enhanced residual values over the budget-brand reputation of old, combined with emissions levels that give appealing options at the main CO2 points. The firm is also at the forefront of long-term moves into hydrogen fuel-cell technology that will eventually offer genuine zero-emission motoring without range anxiety.
40. Thomas Broberg, Volvo Car Corporation, senior technical advisor safety (up 1)
Volvo continues to lead the industry in terms of safety progress, and Broberg is the man in charge of that area. The latest development, which won Volvo its fourth BusinessCar Techie award in five years, is the Cyclist Detection system.
39. Jon Olsen, BCA, chief executive (up 5)
The boss of the UK’s dominant remarketing firm has overseen another productive 12 months that included the trial introduction of video footage of some LCV stock, and a move towards a more consultative approach in an effort to get to one million remarketed vehicles per year.
38. Michiel van Ratingen, Euro NCAP, secretary general (down 5)
The European New Car Assessment Programme has now been running for 16 years, and Van Ratingen has overseen a progression towards preventative measures being included in its star ratings system, as well as the improvement in pedestrian safety being driven by the crash tests.
37. Mike Williams, HM Treasury, director, business and international tax (up 2)
The Treasury’s business tax leader has influence over the decisions on a wide range of business car-influencing taxation.
36. Bob Contreras, Northgate, chief executive (down 5)
Northgate is the UK’s largest van rental company, and as well as announcing plans this summer to add up to 20 new depots over the next 12 months, many in the London area, it also revealed an 11% rise in annual profits in June.
35. Oliver Morley, DVLA, chief executive (New Entry)
Morley doesn’t even start at the DVLA until November, when he moves from his current role as chief executive of The National Archives, but in the new role – replacing interim boss Malcolm Dawson who has held the fort since Simon Tse left in April – he’ll be straight into work around the closure of local DVLA offices and potential plans to drop the paper counterpart of the driving licence.
34. Dave Bowen, BT Fleet, managing director (up 3)
Bowen has now been in charge for more than three years and in the past 12 months worked with a remapping specialist Viezu Technologies to retune 24,000 of the company’s vehicles to increase economy.
33. David Bird, Leasedrive, managing director (up 6)
The company’s big news of the year was the announcement of a partnership with Mercedes-Benz to manage the German manufacturer’s UK fleet business. Leasedrive’s volumes, though, slid in our 2012 BC50 report of the UK’s biggest leasing firms as the company jettisoned some of the less desirable business taken on as part of the deal to manage Masterlease’s book.
32. Peter Lambert, Kwik-Fit, fleet director (up 3)
The UK’s leading fast-fit company and 20-time BusinessCar Award-winning firm has had a busy 12 months, having embarked on a refurbishment plan for its entire network to try and improve the firm’s appeal, with comfy waiting rooms, free tea and coffee and wi-fi all provided. The firm is also branching out to try and attract more service and repair work over and above its tyre and exhaust offering, and has introduced a new fuel card called Drive that also allows drivers to pay for AA breakdown services, NCP car parking and work at Kwik-Fit. In addition, the company is seeking to increase its work with large LCVs.
31. Nick Andrews, Mercedes-Benz, head of fleet sales (up 12)
The premium German company is continuing down the path of attempting to pass BMW and Audi to become the leading prestige brand, cementing a top-eight position in the UK fleet registration chart last year. With the successful launch of the lower medium A-class hatchback now under Andrews’ belt, next up is the company’s small crossover, the GLA, launching early next year.
30. Chris Jolly, International Decision Systems, forecasting editor (No Change)
Vehicle costs expert IDS has been developing the 4cast online forecast tool it launched last summer, which is designed to set whole-life costs for more than 9000 cars and light commercial vehicles and which joins the company’s SMR and TopCalc products.
29. Simon Oliphant, Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions, chief executive (No Change)
Winner of BusinessCar Techie awards for Best Daily Rental System and Best App, Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions broke new ground on its fresh company headquarters in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, in June with a view to moving in next summer.
28. Barry Beeston, Nissan, corporate sales director (New Entry)
Beeston stepped up to Nissan’s top fleet job in April after previous incumbent Jon Pollock moved up, and he has more than 20 years’ experience with the brand. He’s already overseen a revised Leaf and is on the run-up to the new Note and revised Micra this autumn before the massively important new Qashqai goes on sale early next year. Beeston is also seeking to revamp and improve aftersales, customer management and dealer sales and service functions to make sure fleets and drivers are happy to come back for more when their contracts are up for renewal.
27. Roddy Graham, The Institute of Car Fleet Management, chairman (down 3)
The industry’s training organisation launched a new website late last year, completing what chairman Graham, Leasedrive’s commercial director, described as a re-branding exercise, enabling the ICFM to attract new, younger members.
26. John Jenkins, GE Capital, chief executive (down 5)
Jenkins has led the UK’s number eight leasing firm – GE Capital Fleet Services – since 2005 as part of his role as chief executive of GE Capital.
25. Hugh Wallace, Arnold Clark Finance, managing director (up 1)
An increase of 7000 units last year took the leasing arm of the big car dealer group to the verge of 50,000 vehicles under contract.
24. Jamal Ali, HMRC, policy advisor (New Entry)
Ali took over from Su McLean-Tooke as the HMRC’s chief advisor, offering expertise on, for example, company car taxation, and comes in at a time where all areas are hopefully fairly settled for the longer term.
23. Boris Johnson, London, mayor (No Change)
Johnson has again put London at the forefront of driving down emissions by lowering the congestion charge 100% discount threshold to just 75g/km in July, giving a much-needed boost to ultra low-emission vehicles. There is currently no petrol, diesel or hybrid vehicle able to meet that level, so pure electric, plug-in hybrid and range-extender models take on extra prominence for fleets running in and out of London. Vehicles registered exempt under the previous sub-100g/km regulations will still be eligible for avoiding the £10 per day charge until 24 June 2016 in what Johnson calls a “sunset period”.
22. Ken McCall, Europcar, managing director (down 4)
Europcar has launched a new corporate hire scheme aimed at SMEs and reported a 30% rise in Sunday collection and return in the past three years.
21. Adrian Bewley, Enterprise, director of business rental (New Entry)
BusinessCar daily rental award-winning Enterprise has recently moved into major London train stations, with Waterloo and St Pancras up and running and Euston and Paddington imminent.
20. Phil Robson, Peugeot, director of fleet and used vehicle operations (up 5)
Robson is about to oversee the launch of the crucial new 308 hatchback, a car coming with an 82g/km variant, and the long-awaited electric Partner.
19. Graham Wheeler, Volkswagen Financial Services, managing director (No Change)
Wheeler shares MD responsibilities with joint boss Lisa Stacey, and the company recently started work on its new headquarters in Milton Keynes.
18. James Douglas, Audi, fleet sales director (up 14)
Douglas leaps up our table after moving from Nissan to Audi at the back end of last year, and now heads fleet operations for the top-five selling fleet brand.
17. Callum Gibson, FleetCor, managing director (New Entry)
FleetCor, already owner of The Fuelcard Company brand, bought the industry-leading Allstar from Arval in 2012, and changes to terms and conditions invoked earlier this year, specifically a new transaction fee, caused massive controversy.
16. Mel Dawson, ALD, managing director (New Entry)
Dawson succeeded Keith Allen as ALD Automotive boss at the beginning of this year, having been with the firm since 1997, most recently as sales director. ALD specialises in white label leasing products for a number of car manufacturers.
15. Patrick McLoughlin, Government, transport secretary (down 6)
The seeming revolving office door at the Department for Transport has slowed, with McLoughlin having outlasted predecessor Justine Greening’s 10 months in charge since he took over a year ago. Roadspace expansion and the potential to pay for extra capacity with tolls are on his agenda.
14. Benoit Dilly, Arval, chief executive (New Entry)
Dilly took over from Bart Beckers last month, having moved internally from his previous role with parent company BNP Paribas, and leads the UK top-five leasing firm that earlier this summer launched a new rental calculator tool that measures the cost of rental versus grey fleet. The online device won a 2013 BusinessCar Techie award for innovation.
13. Steve Chater, BMW, head of corporate sales (up 4)
With BMW now comfortably in fourth place in the fleet sales chart and recording the strongest growth of the top eight manufacturers, Mini also firmly in the top 20 and the 3-series in the top six models, things are looking good for Chater. Next up is the launch of a new brand in the form of the electric BMW i.
12. Gerry Keaney, British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association, chief executive (New Entry)
Keaney left Volvo’s Swedish HQ to take over from the long-serving John Lewis at the head of the vehicle rental and leasing representative, and has already declared that he wants to make the BVRLA more vocal.
11. Denis Keenan, KeeResources, managing director (down 1)
Another year of extending the reach of KeeResources for Keenan, including the KwikCarcost whole-life costs platform used by BusinessCar for all our cost analysis that is employed by increasing numbers of manufacturers.
10. Michael O’Shea, Volkswagen, national fleet sales manager (New Entry)
O’Shea stepped into the large shoes of Vince Kinner in March, after the long-standing VW fleet boss moved up to a new role with responsibility across VW Group. O’Shea has worked for Volkswagen for a total of 12 years, the last three of which were as national fleet sales manager.
9. Richard Parkin, Glass’s, director of valuations and analysis (New Entry)
Parkin joined the rapidly expanding Glass’s in October last year from accountancy giant Ernst & Young, where he was an automotive-focused strategy consultant, and he now has responsibility for setting used values as Glass’s seeks to progress in the corporate sector by impinging on rival Cap’s territory.
8. Martin Ward, Cap, manufacturer relations manager (No Change)
The opinionated Ward is the person from residual value experts Cap who gets early access to new vehicles and feeds back to the manufacturers on a variety of residual value-effecting elements, from naming to equipment and pricing.
7. Damian James, Association of Car Fleet Operators, chairman (New Entry)
Taking over from Julie Jenner in June, James is the head of operations for Bracknell Forest Council and has stepped up from deputy to lead the car fleet operators’ association having been a director for the past three years. Also a BusinessCar Techie Awards judge and former BusinessCar blogger, James previously acted as chairman of ACFO’s South-West and Wales region.
6. James Taylor, Vauxhall, fleet sales director (No Change)
There’s a renewed sense of positivity around Vauxhall’s corporate sales, and that’s been driven in part by residual value improvements after the brand stuck to its promise to make big reductions in its short-cycle business. That meant it dropped more than 20,000 units behind Ford in the fleet sales chart last year, but it is in better shape going forward, with the 99g/km Insignia setting a new sector benchmark.
5. Richard Schooling , Alphabet, chief executive (No Change)
The acquisition of ING Car Lease, completed just over two years ago, propelled BMW-owned leasing firm Alphabet into the UK’s top three leasing companies, and the company now has well over 100,000 vehicles in its portfolio. BusinessCar’s reigning Service Supplier of the Year is also developing its Alphacity pool vehicle system.
4. Phil Hollins, Ford, director of fleet operations (New Entry)
Not quite the highest new entry in this year’s list, Hollins took up the position of heading up Ford’s fleet operation, across cars and light commercial vehicles, at the beginning of 2013 after previous incumbent Kevin Griffin moved on to lead Ford’s European LCV operation. Hollins is in charge of the UK’s largest fleet brand and is working on the build-up to the delayed new Mondeo, due around 12 months from now.
3. David Brennan, Leaseplan, managing director (No Change)
Brennan is heading towards eight years in charge of the UK arm of the world’s largest vehicle management company. Activities in 2013 included the launch of a new, free company car tax guide developed with Deloitte. The firm is also looking at developing the travel-budget alternative to the company car it has launched in Holland. The programme gives a monthly allowance that can be spent on a variety of travel methods including car rental, trains and even bicycles.
2. Tim Porter, Lex Autolease, managing director (New Entry)
There was a change at the top of the UK’s largest contract hire and leasing business this year, when Tim Porter replaced Rick Francis in May. Despite the acquisitions and growth among the other big leasing players, it still takes putting the second, third and fourth leasing firms together to beat Lex’s 270,000 vehicles across around 60,000 customers. Porter has in excess of 20 years of finance and business experience, and was previously with Lex Autolease parent Lloyds Banking Group as commercial director of the SME division.
1. George Osborne, Government, chancellor (No Change)
It was another big Budget for the fleet market from Osborne this year, effectively setting out the state of the benefit-in-kind taxation system until April 2017, while the future of ultra low-emission vehicles was also finally cleared up. Cars below 76g/km will have a BIK incentive until at least April 2020, with a distinction being made at 50g/km or below that will see further benefits for company drivers. First-year writing-down allowances were also tweaked, dropping from sub-96g/km to 75g/km or less for the three years from April 2015. Osborne also pledged to maintain the announcement of BIK bands three years in advance to help the decision-making process, which means the spring 2014 Budget should contain details of the 2017-18 tax year rates.
2012’s big hitters departed
The spectacular year of change among those people leading influential business car companies and organisations means some star names have exited the list, a few of which of which have been there since the very first Power List in 2006, such as Ford’s Kevin Griffin, the BVRLA’s John Lewis, ACFO’s Julie Jenner and Vince Kinner of VW.
Changes of leadership for Lex Autolease, Arval and ALD Automotive mean new names on the list for three of the top five leasing firms, with Rick Francis and Bart Beckers dropping out, and Keith Allen dropping down as he trades ALD for ARI.
We’ve lost Renault from the top 50 as its fleet influence wanes, and we’ve also dropped Toyota’s hybrid boss as range-extenders surpass the petrol-electric technology for UK firms looking for serious emission reduction. Prime Minister David Cameron has also been removed, as at present his minions George Osborne and Patrick McLoughlin are doing the business on his behalf in the Treasury and Department for Transport respectively.
Others replaced this year include Paul Sansom at Audi, after the brand appointed James Douglas as its fleet boss, and from an organisation perspective, Su McLean-Tooke of HM Treasury, Simon Tse of the DVLA and the SMMT’s Paul Everitt have all sought pastures new.
