Fraikin has made three senior appointments as part of the company’s strategy to accelerate innovation and growth in the UK. 

Hugh Cole has been appointed as managing director, Jeremy Heron as sales and marketing director and Michelle Everitt as head of HR.

Cole is a chartered engineer with extensive experience in asset rental and leasing – initially with Avis in the 1990s and then as operations director of Europcar between 2000 and 2004.

Following this he spent three years with Lavendon Group, starting as managing director of subsidiary Nationwide Access and then as group operations director.

More recently Cole was fleet director at Balfour Beatty Group for three years until 2013, where he was responsible for more than 7,500 assets.

Cole reports directly to Pierre-Louis Colin, CEO of Fraikin Group, which now has operations in 16 countries across Europe, the Middle East and Russia.

Heron, brings more than 23 years’ experience in the asset finance and vehicle leasing industry to his new role. Initially employed in business development and sales leadership positions with GE Capital, he moved to Lloyds TSB Bank in 2004 as head of strategic ventures, before taking on the role of head of corporate sales. In late 2006 he transferred to Lloyds TSB Autolease as head of corporate new business and bid management, continuing in the same position when the company merged with Lex in 2009, to form Lex Autolease.

Everitt joins from global engineering firm Fosroc International, where she held the position of European HR business partner. Prior to joining Fosroc International in 2013, she garnered a wealth of experience across a 10 year period with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, Microsoft and Schneider Electric.

Cole explained: “We are committed to building on Fraikin’s established position in the market, further strengthening our tailored contract hire, fleet management and rental offers to customers nationwide.

“Almost every conversation we are having with fleets right now is focused on helping them to reduce costs, ensure compliance and minimise environmental impact. These three areas fit perfectly with Fraikin’s core competencies in the marketplace, and are where we can deliver maximum value.”

The three new appointees bring extensive industry experience to Fraikin’s leadership team at the company’s Coventry headquarters.