Death of former Ford fleet director announced

A former Ford fleet director and fleet industry stalwart, Mike Wear, has died after a long battle with cancer.  

He was appointed director of Ford of Britain fleet operations in November 1994 after a career spanning 33 years which started as a graduate trainee at the manufacturer.

After graduating in 1969, he joined Ford as a graduate trainee, becoming a demonstration vehicle co-ordinator in truck merchandising in 1971. From 1973 to 1977 he was fleet and leasing sales representative.

After joining the company's Midlands district office as a car sales representative, he was appointed car marketing plans co-ordinator, followed by three years as supervisor of car marketing merchandising programmes.

In 1984, he became area truck sales manager and then spent four years in managerial positions in dealer affairs and business and strategy planning before becoming London and south east district manager.

Before taking up his directorship, he was manager of rental distributions and remarketing.

One of his earliest successes was setting up Ford Direct.

He retired as Ford’s fleet director in 2003, receiving several gifts including a Mont Blanc pen, it was symbolic of his career climb over 33 years from graduate trainee to director. But it also reflected his role in re-writing the history of the company car market, which was acknowledged in a telling figure on the side of the pen.

It read 2.5 million, which indicated the number of company vehicles sold through the Ford fleet department since he took the helm of its fleet operation in 1994.

Speaking to Fleet News on his last day at Ford, he said: “The key message is to make business fun. If you get quality time with customers and staff, you really get to know them and that can make all the difference. There is no replacement for it.”

Wear went on to work for Motability Operations as manufacturer and dealer relations director and was awarded an OBE in 2006 for his public service as chair of the Vehicle Crime Reduction Action Team (VCRAT).

Wear passed away on November 16 at Pembury Hospital. A service will be held at Sevenoaks Crematorium for family only. A memorial service will be held at 2pm on December 8 at St Mary’s Church, Ide Hill, Kent, with a wake following at the Cock Inn, Ide Hill.