Hat-trick for Alphabet at the inaugural International Auto Finance Network awards

Alphabet (GB) has scooped a hat-trick of accolades at the inaugural International Auto Finance Network (IAFN) awards in Canary Wharf, London.

It was recognised with the International Auto Finance Network’s  ‘Mobility Services’ and ‘Green Fleet’ awards for AlphaCity and AlphaElectric respectively, while the company’s chief executive officer Richard Schooling jointly received the IAFN’s ‘CEO of the Year’ award.

The winners were chosen by a committee of 17 judges drawn from across the global automotive finance industry, while the process was overseen and chaired by Tarun Mistry, the partner leading Grant Thornton’s leasing, asset and consumer finance sector team.

Kit Wisdom, head of corporate mobility received the ‘Mobility Services’ award on behalf of Alphabet for its corporate car sharing solution, AlphaCity.

The judges commented that AlphaCity is a corporate car sharing solution that is “practical, workable and cost effective”, dramatically improving the experience for company drivers, while reducing costs and CO2 emissions.

In the ‘Green Fleet’ category the award was presented to Schooling, for its AlphaElectric service, which helps organisations switch on to the benefits of electric vehicles.

Alphabet was the unanimous choice of the judges, who described the AlphaElectric product as “head and shoulders” above the competition.

The judges citation also highlighted that Alphabet had “thought through the customer barriers to integrating electric vehicles into fleets and has provided practical workable solutions that ease the transition”.

Tarun Mistry, partner, Grant Thornton and IAFN awards chairman presented a joint ‘CEO of the Year’ award to Schooling and Peter Cakebread, managing director of Marshall Leasing.

Schooling was praised by judges for leading from the front, taking Alphabet through multi-layer change, innovating and building a strong business model which saw a record year for Alphabet in 2014 when the fleet exceeded 131,000 vehicles.

Schooling said: “We are pleased to receive this hat trick of honours from the inaugural International Auto Finance Network awards.

“The Mobility Services award for AlphaCity and Green Fleet award for AlphaElectric reflect the significant strides Alphabet customers in the UK have been made in proving the real world, business case for innovative solutions to mobility such as electric vehicles and corporate car sharing.”