British Gas fleet's planning and preparation

Not simply satisfied with setting British Gas up for its medium-term future by implementing and actioning a robust sustainability plan, including full transition to electric across its near-11,000 cars and vans by 2025, head of fleet Steve Winter is also working on a succession plan to ensure a smooth transition to the next incumbent.

Fleet is undergoing its biggest transformation in a generation, perhaps ever: electric vehicles, mobility, legislation, data and technology are all impacting on the job, adding pressure but also making it a stimulating place to work.

The skills required of tomorrow’s fleet manager need to evolve to meet the challenge and Winter, while confident about his own succession planning, questions where the new breed of decision-makers is coming from.

“The fleet industry is full of massive change with unprecedented levels of complexity and change over the past two or three years; the role is developing into something else,” he says. “It’s almost too big for one fleet manager; it needs to be supplemented by a number of key people to support that person.”

Of his own approach, he says: “[Former British Gas fleet manager] Colin Marriott brought me in to be his successor and, for a few years, I was learning the role under him. That was hugely beneficial and was the first thing I thought of when I took the job. More people need to think about these things. This is a stressful job so to have someone that can help you, share the burden and give insight is important.”

During his seven years at British Gas, Winter has become accustomed to change. Under parent Centrica, the fleet team has at various times reported into finance, procurement, supply chain and operations. Ultimately, though, the core objective has broadly stayed the same: to deliver an efficient and effective fleet to end users.

“We’re now in a group procurement function that looks after a global fleet, but there’s no right answer about where it should sit,” he says. “We still get involved in each part of the business, such as resourcing, supply chain or procurement - it’s a holistic approach. But having these different reporting lines has given me more insight and a broader knowledge of how Centrica works and how the fleet affects each part of the business – operationally, supply chain and procurement.”