Industry jobs: Roles filled at FMG, TTC Group, FleetCheck, Econ Engineering, ChargeUK, i247 Group, Leasing Options and Enterprise Flex-E-Rent

FMG appoints new managing director

FMG has promoted Andy Chandler to the role of managing director, having joined the firm in 2015 and served as sales director since 2019.

He succeeds Claire Owens, who stepped down from the role to explore new opportunities, earlier this month.

With 20 years of experience in the fleet and insurance industry, Chandler broadened his role in 2021 to support the claims and services businesses within parent company, Zigup, where his contribution played a pivotal role in growing the business into different markets.

Harvey Stead, chief operating officer, Zigup, said: “Andy’s expertise and strategic focus in the fleet and insurance sectors, along with his wealth of industry knowledge and commercial expertise, will be invaluable in driving the business forwards and leveraging the opportunities to deliver against our plans.”

Chandler added: “I will be focussed on ensuring our propositions remain relevant, that we deliver the high level of service we’re synonymous with, we remain knowledgeable and insightful in the markets in which we operate and that we continue to be a strategic and valuable partner to our impressive client base.”

FMG specialises in incident management services, partnering with some of the country’s best-known fleets and insurers to service hundreds of thousands of claims a year.

TTC Group appoints Roy Hastings as chief financial officer

TTC Group has appointed Roy Hastings as group chief financial officer (CFO) to replace the retiring Richard Boothroyd.

Hastings will support TTC as it continues to grow its portfolio of critical training and compliance services in regulatory driven markets, with a broader solution for customers.

He has extensive and varied experience across the public and private sectors in private equity-backed businesses and is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales.

He joins TTC from Connected Cloud Solutions provider, FluidOne.

David Marsh, CEO of TTC Group, said: “Roy’s understanding of our customer base, the product types we are looking to grow into and his knowledge of private equity stood out.

“We have numerous opportunities in the pipeline which we feel confident of securing with our newly bolstered team and achieving our strategic objective of being the UK’s go-to training and compliance expert.”

Hastings added: “TTC's commitment to excellence and innovation aligns perfectly with my own professional values, and I am excited to become part of the business as it continues its path down an ambitious growth and acquisitions-led future.”

Kay Saunders named head of client experience at FleetCheck

Kay Saunders has been named to the newly-created role of head of client experience at fleet software specialist FleetCheck.

She will hold responsibilities across three key areas –new client onboarding, client services, and account management for larger fleets.

Her experience includes spending the last four years as head of global fleet operations at Polestar Performance AB in Sweden. Previously, she fulfilled a number of sales and marketing roles for nearly two decades at both Volvo Car UK and Volvo Car Group.

She said: “I’m delighted to be joining FleetCheck in this phase of the company’s development. There has clearly been considerable expansion during the last few years and the plans to continue this trajectory in the future are impressive.

“My part will be to ensure that we are able to demonstrate a culture that means our team is committed to consistently delivering exceptional service, meaning that at every touchpoint with FleetCheck, clients are delighted.

“This ranges from onboarding, with the first real experience that clients will have with us apart from the sales team, through to account manager for larger clients with a greater number of diversity of vehicles.”

Peter Golding, CEO, added: “We’d like to welcome Kay on board. She has extensive experience of the fleet sector at the highest level and will, we are sure, make a significant contribution to FleetCheck in the years to come.”

Econ Engineering promote Steve Sinnott

Steve Sinnott, a long-standing member of the Econ Engineering team, is set to play an expanded role in the future success of the business following his promotion to sales director.

In his new role, he will continue his responsibilities of national sales strategy and managing business development alongside working closely with the board to explore other strategic opportunities.

He will continue to work closely with the regional area managers, ensuring there is a strong order pipeline, and connecting the technical, service and factory production teams.

Sinnott joined the UK’s leading manufacturer of winter and highway maintenance vehicles in 2013 and has risen through the ranks from regional sales manager to sales director.

He said: “I am thrilled to take on this expanded role at Econ. The business continues to perform strongly in the markets we operate in, and I look forward to providing additional insight to the board so we can continue our growth.”

Jonathan Lupton, managing director at Econ, added: “As we continue to lead the market in the winter and roads maintenance sector, Steve’s expanded role is an important one.

“He will not only continue to manage key customer relationships and drive the new business pipeline by showcasing current and future product developments but also provide expert market knowledge on opportunities and challenges which will be important as we set our longer-term strategy.”

Earlier in his career, Sinnott held several senior sales roles at Duffields of East Anglia, Whale Tankers and Intercountry Truck & Van, before joining Econ in 2013. 

Family-run Econ Engineering is the UK’s leading manufacturer of winter and highway maintenance vehicles, supplying 85% of the nation’s gritters. It recently delivered the first ever fully electric model, the E-QCB.

ChargeUK appoints first head of policy

ChargeUK, the voice of the UK’s EV charging infrastructure industry, has today announced Jarrod Birch as the organisation’s first head of policy.

He joins from Shell Recharge, where he was policy and advocacy Lead, having also previously been a member of ChargeUK’s board.

His focus will be on creating the policy and regulatory conditions the sector needs to build the UK’s EV charging infrastructure at a time when the EV transition is at a critical point.  

With Birch stepping down from his previous board position, and Natasha Mahmoudian, head of public policy and business development for the UK and Ireland at Tesla, taking maternity leave, ChargeUK also announces two new board members: Laura Hardy, chief communications officer at Gridserve, and Antoine Picron, senior policy manager at ChargePoint.  

Birch said: “This new role gives me the opportunity to work on behalf of the whole sector, and this is something I am relishing.”

Vicky Read, CEO of ChargeUK added: “I’m looking forward to working with Jarrod to continue this momentum and ensure that EV charging is as convenient and affordable as possible.

“I would also like to welcome Laura and Antoine to the board, which will benefit immensely from their expertise and experience in the sector.”  

i247 Group appoints its first ever technical director

Les Kerjenski has joins i247 Group in a brand new role as technical director, joining from Fleet Assist where he was chief technology and operations officer, brings over 30 years of technology experience to the Group.

The new i247 Group role will include leading a team of 25 across all technology related functions - IT, development and data.

He said: “I’m really looking forward to leading the digital strategy and delivering a holistic approach for the Group.

“A key part of that strategy will be to look at how we can utilise new technology like AI and machine learning to enhance the customer journey.”

Sam Mason, managing director for i247 Group, added: “Technology is a key part of our growth agenda - we want to ensure that our technological footprint is right for today and ready for tomorrow.

“Our goal is to work in the most proactive and predictive way possible to ensure the optimal experience and outcomes are delivered for our customers.”

The hire is one of a series of senior appointments made by i247 Group this year. The firm has taken on five additional IT software developers and made a range of new appointments within its data and analytical teams.

The Group has also grown its commercial team with strategic hires from within the fleet landscape including Dean Hedger as key account director and Charlene Tattersall as key account manager.

Leasing Options announces latest promotion

Leasing Options, the Manchester-based car leasing firm, has announced Sanjay Gorsia has been promoted to pricing manager.

He will now officially take charge of managing pricing for the business, along with other related teams.

Gorsia, who has been with Leasing Options for six years, will help make sure Leasing Options stays competitive in the market and support the senior management team in driving the company’s growth strategy.

Mike Thompson, chief operating officer at Leasing Options, said: “Sanjay is an incredible asset for Leasing Options and this promotion is well deserved.

“This promotion is just the first of many exciting announcements we’ll be sharing in the coming months as our 35-year-old business undergoes record-breaking growth.”

Gorsia added: “I’ve seen firsthand how much we’ve grown over the last seven years and am excited for the incredible opportunities ahead.

“I’m looking forward to working with my team to help drive our continued success and sharing my knowledge to further develop my team’s expertise and support the company’s growth.”

Enterprise Flex-E-Rent invests in 15 new recruits for its HGV apprentice programme

Enterprise Flex-E-Rent has recruited a new cohort of 15 apprentices in the UK and Ireland to join its two-year HGV mechanic or panel beater apprentice programme.

The move is part of a long-term strategy to invest in more specialist apprentices against the backdrop of the ongoing skills shortage affecting the industry.

It follows Enterprise Flex-E-Rent’s investment earlier this year, when more than 100 commercial vehicle technicians joined the last cohort in May and have since qualified.

The technician training programme was developed to create a highly skilled professional course which equips trainees with a wide range of hands-on experience and skills.

The new intake of HGV technician apprentices are based at Enterprise Flex-E-Rent depots in the UK and Ireland, including Shrewsbury, Gloucester, Southampton, Exeter, East London, and Limerick.

An existing member of the workshop or bodyshop team is selected to act as a designated ‘buddy’ to each of the apprentices, to support them through their training.

Danny Glynn, vice president of Enterprise Flex-E-Rent, said: “Our apprenticeship programme is vital to building a steady stream of talent as we continue to grow as one of the leading commercial vehicle specialists.

“By investing in our team, we’re creating long-term career pathways that not only benefit our business but also help address the national skills shortage.”