LATEST appointments in the fleet industry.

Universal Salvage has appointed Matthew Briggs as chief operating officer. Briggs was brought in to strengthen the company’s management team as part of a major business drive.

He will be responsible for all branch activity, including vehicle dismantling and recycling, end-of-life processing, auctions, workshop facilities, motor image assessors, claims handlers and vehicle management.

He will be tasked with ensuring that the company returns to profitable trading, whilst delivering top level service for Universal’s customers and partners.

Briggs joins Universal Salvage from independent fleet performance company, FMG Group, where he was operations director in their accident management division.

He has more than 15 years’ experience in the automotive industry.

  • ING Car Lease has appointed Mark Gibson as head of strategic marketing.

    Gibson joins from Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions, where he was marketing manager.His role is to fully integrate marketing into the business while building on the existing marketing strategy. Gibson will shortly be recruiting for a marketing executive to join him in implementing the new plans.

  • BARRY Mills has joined the software development team at Chevin Fleet Solutions. Mills has had previous web-based software experience maintaining websites and software systems for London Lines, Bowmer & Kirkland construction, Buttons and Bows Childcare and MHA Care Group.

  • STEPHEN Coombes has been appointed as regional finance director of Europ Assistance Holdings. His position covers operations in the UK, Ireland, Scandinavia, South Africa and the United States. Coombes joins from Barclays Bank, where he spent 10 years in a variety of executive roles. Prior to that, he played a leading role in forming the Legal & General alliance and the acquisition of the Woolwich.

  • TRACEY Owen has been appointed to the role of marketing executive at automotive IT specialist epyx. Her responsibilities include managing direct marketing campaigns for the 1link e-commerce range, and the writing and production of epyx’s new customer newsletter. Owen previously worked for Serco Solutions as part of the commercial marketing team, overseeing the core marketing disciplines and managing the corporate hospitality function.

  • TIM Jones has been appointed marketing director for GeoPost UK. Jones arrives from TNT Express, where he had spent eight years in senior marketing roles. He has more than 15 years’ marketing experience. He succeeds John Acton, who becomes group marketing director at GeoPost’s Paris office.

  • COMMERCIAL vehicle rental firm TLS Vehicle Rental has reorganised its branch management structure to create closer ties with local customers. The firm was previously divided into northern and southern region, with two regional directors looking after 13 branches each. Now eight general managers have been appointed, each having three to four branches. The managers will be responsible for the overall performance of their regional businesses, focusing on growth and customer satisfaction.