Industry jobs: Senior roles filled at Renault Trucks, Jameel Motors, Synetiq, EVA England, 1Link, BeEV, Brayleys, Carmoola, Causeway Technologies, Hived, Keyloop, Wise and Whistl

Leadership changes at Renault Truck Commercials

Renault Trucks UK and Ireland has announced significant structural and leadership changes to its Renault Truck Commercials retail organisation. 

As part of this transformation, Renault Truck Commercials, the largest Renault Trucks dealer group in the UK, will now operate as two distinct regions: West England & South Wales, and Greater London and South East England. 

To lead these newly established regions, two experienced general directors, Steve Astill and Paul Irving have been appointed. 

The newly established regional structure is designed to enhance responsiveness, improve service delivery and strengthen engagement across Renault Truck Commercials dealers. 

By focusing on the market opportunities and challenges in each region, Renault Trucks aims to position Renault Truck Commercials as a leading customer-centric dealer. 

To drive this change, Renault Trucks has appointed two general directors to oversee the regions. 

Each general director will report directly to Carlos Rodrigues, managing director of Renault Trucks UK and Ireland, while working collaboratively on strategic initiatives to advance growth. 

Rodrigues said: “The new regional structure for Renault Truck Commercials, and the appointment of our strong new leadership team, marks a forward-looking milestone for Renault Trucks’ Retail organisation in the UK, unlocking the full potential to meet ambitious growth targets and deliver unparalleled value to customers.” 

He added: “We are delighted to welcome Steve and Paul, who both bring a wealth of experience, expertise and regional knowledge to their roles.” 

Additionally, Renault Trucks has established a separate rental business for Renault Truck Commercials, Rental+, headed up by Andy Taylor, Rental+ director who reports directly to Carlos Rodrigues. 

As a franchisee of the Vertellus national contract hire brand, Rental+ will work closely with the two Renault Truck Commercials’ regions to develop flexible and tailored solutions for customers. 

The organisational changes do not impact Renault Trucks Scotland, which remains an integral part of Renault Trucks’ wholly owned Retail organisation. 

Jameel Motors appoints UK managing director 

Jameel Motors has appointed Tom Carney as managing director, Jameel Motors Farizon Auto. 

Carney was most recently commercial and retail operations director at Inchcape and takes up his new role with immediate effect.

He brings more than 30 years of experience in commercial and retail operations within the automotive sector, leading teams across sales, service and support functions. 

His experience stretches across multiple brands including BMW, MINI, Audi, JLR and Porsche.

He said: “After years of strengthening and developing the UK presence of some of the world’s most established brands, it’s an exciting challenge to lead the introduction of a new brand and a fantastic new product.

“Jameel Motors has an enviable track record of establishing new operations around the world to the highest standards and I look forward to using all my experience to achieve the same in the UK.”

The appointment by Jameel Motors is part of a long-term strategy to build a strong team for the UK ahead of the start of sales of the Farizon SV, a large born-electric panel van. 

Carney will work alongside Andy Carroll, who has led the first phase of setting up Jameel Motors Farizon Auto in the UK. Carroll will move into an advisory role with Jameel Motors in the UK to support the Farizon activities as well as other projects.

Synetiq appoints Jonathan Pervin as managing director

Synetiq has appointed Jonathan Pervin as managing director to lead its UK salvage and dismantling business.

Working closely with RB Global’s chief business development officer, Karl Werner, he will continue to help drive innovation and growth as part of IAA, an RB Global company.

Previously serving as finance director at Synetiq, Pervin has experience in senior financial roles and played a key role in supporting the company’s growth through strategic investment, acquisitions, and business development. 

He said: “Our business is at the forefront of the industry, and I look forward to working closely with our talented team to build on our success, maximise growth, and deliver the very best for our clients and customers.” 

Werner added: “I look forward to working closely with Jonathan, as we continue to drive the business forward with a wealth of exciting opportunities for the year ahead.”

EVA England welcomes new CEO to champion the cause of EV drivers

Former senior civil servant and passionate electric vehicle (EV) driver, Dr Vicky Edmonds, has been appointed the new CEO of EVA England.

She has been at the forefront of Government net zero and transport policy for almost two decades, including three years as the head of the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (now OZEV), where she led the Government’s development of its 2030 phase out policy formalising a cut-off date for the sale of new petrol and diesel cars. 

Other headline projects she has led on include, the £950m Rapid Charging Fund and the Local EV Infrastructure Fund.  

She said: “I am delighted to be taking on the role of EVA England’s chief executive officer. As an EV driver for six years now, I have first-hand experience of the many opportunities these cars bring – not least the ease with which they fit into a busy family life – and have long been a passionate promoter of the role they can play in reducing our transport emissions.   
 
“The EV sector is at a critical point. Sales of EVs and installation of charge points are increasing at ever higher rates, yet coverage of EVs can at times be confusing and damaging. 

“An independent voice for EV drivers has never been more important. And as the champion for that voice, EVA England delivers the powerful message that these cars can and do work for the consumer. 

“We have a key role to play in helping drivers overcome perceived barriers to EV uptake - namely cost, fair and easy access to charging, and miscommunication. I look forward to working with our members and partners in delivering that mission.”

Oliver Hummel named new European business development manager for 1link

 
Oliver Hummel has been named as the new European business development manager at service, maintenance, repair and tyre (SMRT) authorisation technology specialist 1link.

He will be responsible for sales of the platform – delivered by Business Gateway GmbH – to major vehicle operators in mainland Europe.

Hummel joins from Nokian Tyres, where he held both fleet and retail key account manager roles, and has also worked in senior positions at Bridgestone Europe and Michelin.

He said: “I’m looking forward to using my experience and network of contacts in fleet and tyres to show prospective users how the platform can deliver outstanding results for them, as well as working closely with existing customers.

“There is the potential for huge growth here, especially with several major industry tenders fast approaching for which our technology will be highly suitable.”

Fleets totalling almost eight million vehicles use 1link to manage their SMRT processes, working with tens of thousands of supplying garages.

As well as Germany, the platform is available in Austria, Australia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Hungary, Ireland, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. 

Aditya Varadpande, managing director at Business Gateway, said: “We’re very pleased to welcome Oliver to our team and are sure that he will prove a great asset. Fleet interest in 1link across Germany, Austria and Switzerland especially is very high and he will help us to maximise that potential.”

Business Gateway was founded in 2000 and has since developed market-leading expertise in digital purchasing systems for major fleets. The business was acquired by Corpay, the parent company of Epyx, in 2022.

BeEV names new head of business development

EV charging business BeEV has appointed of Baz (Sebastian) Street as head of business development.

Street arrives from EV charging network Gridserve where he spent more than six years rising to head of origination where he led the sales team.

As part of his remit, he will be actively looking for new sites and partnerships to add to BeEV’s growing roster of relationships.

He said: “At BeEV, I hope to leverage my expertise to drive operational excellence, enhance customer experience, and, most importantly, secure and deliver an exceptional pipeline of projects to help Be.EV with its ambitions.”

Asif Ghafoor (pictured), CEO of BeEV, added: “We have worked hard to develop our sales and site relationships in three years of operations and Baz’s welcome arrival is a step up for the growth of the business.”  

Brayleys appoints Jose Blanco as new CEO 

Brayleys has appointed Jose Blanco as its new CEO to take over the reins of the business from Paul Brayley, who will transition to a non-executive director role on the main board. 

Having founded and successfully led the company since its inception in 2003, Brayley's new role will see him serve as an ambassador for the group, offering strategic guidance on the UK automotive sector to both the board and executive teams.

Blanco joins Brayleys from Europcar Mobility Group, where he served as group chief sales officer and was a member of the group executive committee. 

In his new role as CEO, he will focus on driving further growth. 

“I am thrilled to take over the legacy that Paul has built and lead such a dynamic and well-established company into its next phase of growth,” said Blanco. 

“Paul and the team have done an incredible job growing the business, and I’m excited to build on this success.”

Brayley added: “I am confident that under Jose’s leadership, Brayleys will continue to thrive and evolve as we work towards its next phase.”

Carmoola appoints Dan Kellett as director of lending and data analytics

Carmoola has appointed Dan Kellett as director of lending and data analytics. 

In this new role, he will be responsible for leading the company’s credit and underwriting; fraud; risk management; and pricing strategies.

He joins Carmoola from his role as chief data officer at Capital One UK, where he led a team of 100 data and product professionals to deliver significant business improvement. 

He was also charged with organisation-wide data ethics and the responsible adoption of artificial intelligence (AI), and played a role in the Bank of England’s and Financial Conduct Authority’s Artificial Intelligence Public-Private Forum (AIPPF), which shaped industry thinking on data and AI use. 

Aidan Rushby, founder and CEO of Carmoola, said, “Dan is a data rockstar and we’re super excited to welcome him to Carmoola. 

“I’m confident that his deep understanding of financial services - and particularly of consumer lending - as well as his strong business acumen and, most importantly, his unrelenting focus on what’s best for customers, will have a massive impact.” 

Kellett added: “Data presents the opportunity for a significant competitive advantage, and when this is coupled with best-in-class proprietary tech, the benefit to our customers will be huge.” 

Causeway Technologies promotes Paul Devlin to CEO 

Causeway Technologies has announced that chief operating officer, Paul Devlin, has been promoted to CEO.

He takes over the CEO role from Causeway’s founder Phil Brown, who becomes executive chairman. 

Devlin said: “I am committed to working with the team to continue to grow this phenomenal company. As COO, I have seen firsthand and share the passion that has driven Causeway’s success for more than a quarter of a century.”

Brown added: “Phil has been the driving force behind the remarkable success story that is Causeway Technologies and it is a great honour to be handed the baton by him. We will be working very closely in the future as I build on the impressive work that he has spearheaded.”

In his new role, Devlin will head the executive senior leadership and guide the day-day operations of a workforce of more than 500 employees addressing the needs of 3,000-plus customers worldwide.

Hived names Leo Mulabdić as new VP commercial strategy & network 

Hived has announced Leo Mulabdić as its new vice president commercial strategy and network. 

With almost 10 years in the ecommerce and logistics sector, he will be responsible for scaling Hived’s tech-enabled and customer-centric delivery network in 2025 as the business targets ambitious growth.

He joins from Amazon where he was the head of EU pricing for Amazon Shipping, leading a team responsible for pricing strategy and supporting the commercial team in customer negotiations. 

With a seven-year career at the tech giant, he previously held roles at Amazon Business EU where he managed pricing strategy and product launches.
 
He said: “As Hived now looks to supercharge the next phase of its growth across the UK, I’m hugely excited to lead our commercial strategy and network to create a fully-integrated and scalable delivery model.” 

Murvah Iqbal, CEO and co-founder of Hived, added, “We have ambitious plans to scale our delivery network across the UK in 2025 and are continuing to hire top talent to support our growth strategy. 

“Leo’s extensive experience in ecommerce and logistics at the world’s largest delivery company will be invaluable as we scale.” 

Keyloop appoints new chief revenue officer 

Keyloop has appointed Megan Harvey, as the company’s new chief revenue officer (CRO). 

As CRO, her focus is to oversee all of Keyloop’s teams and processes related to revenue as the business brings the all-new Automotive Retail Platform, Fusion, to the market. 

She will spearhead the sales division to maximise and drive new opportunities within Keyloop’s growing customer base.

Having joined Keyloop in September 2021, she previously held the role of chief alliances officer and drove the success of a new division which was initiated in 2022 to help accelerate digital transformation within large retail groups and car manufacturers.

She said: “I’m really excited to drive growth and customer success, focusing on fostering value across the entire automotive ecosystem.” 

Prior to joining Keyloop, she served as Google’s head of alliances in EMEA within GCP. She joined Google via the acquisition of Looker, a data analytics platform, where she led the technology and consulting partner ecosystem, partnering closely with Google, and setting the company up well for the exit.

Wise welcomes Richard Tucker as enterprise sales director 

Wise has appointed Richard Tucker as enterprise sales director, effective January 2025.

With more than 20 years of experience across supply chain and logistics, retail, eCommerce, fulfilment, and third-party logistics, Wise says Tucker has a proven track record in selling supply chain software and SaaS solutions to some of the world’s leading enterprises.

In his new role, he will spearhead Wise’s large-enterprise strategy, driving account-based marketing and sales efforts to deliver scalable, customer-focused compliance solutions tailored to the needs of the logistics industry. 

Dan Richards, chief commercial officer at Wise, said: “With a proven track record of delivering innovative, customer-centric solutions in the logistics industry, Richard’s expertise aligns perfectly with Wise’s vision. 

“As we continue to establish ourselves as leaders in enterprise compliance solutions, his experience will be critical in driving our growth and ensuring exceptional outcomes for our clients. We’re excited to see the impact he will make.”

Whistl appoints Fliss O’Hara and Laura Sanjurgo to the executive board

Whistl has appointed Fliss O’Hara and Laura Sanjurgo to the Whistl Group executive board.  

O’Hara was recently promoted to managing director of fulfilment and contact solutions and Sanjurgo (pictured), who originally joined the company in 2010 as a business development manager, was appointed as commercial director for the company’s mail division last year.

Following these appointments, the Whistl executive board is comprised of 12 members from across the group, led by Nick Wells, executive chairman.

Wells said: “We are delighted to promote Fliss and Laura to the executive board where they will bring experience and energy to help drive forward the growth of the whole group.”

As part of changes to the management team Andrew Goddard has now taken responsibility for the parcel division alongside the mail and cross border divisions.  

To further strengthen the cross border team, Sarah Brennan has joined as sales and customer experience director from Landmark Global.