Industry jobs: Roles filled at IDS, Quartix, Auto Data Solutions, Cazoo and Hiyacar

IDS appoints former CEO of White Clarke Group as chief strategy officer

IDS has appointed the former chief executive officer (CEO) of White Clarke Group, Brendan Gleeson, as its chief strategy officer.

In the newly created position, Gleeson will play a strategic role in driving the company’s overall innovation focus, IDS said.

IDS said the role will include identifying industry and technology trends and translating them into strategic insights to expand value across its solution portfolio.

David Hamilton, CEO of IDS, said: "Brendan’s innovation leadership and strategic direction at White Clarke Group led to the development of a world-class portfolio of solutions to meet the ever-changing needs of the automotive, wholesale and equipment finance marketplace.

“As part of the IDS executive team, he will continue to drive innovation by identifying mid- and long-term strategic needs of the broader secured finance industry and capitalize on technology trends with the goal of bringing to market forward-leaning solutions and innovative products for our customers.”

IDS said Gleeson brings nearly 30 years of industry experience and ‘successful track record and vision’ in developing and executing global strategies, international expansions, and technology product innovation.

IDS recently acquired White Clarke Group, where Gleeson served as its Group CEO since 2013.

The combination, says IDS, creates a multi-asset class secured finance technology “powerhouse” supporting banks, independents, OEM captives, and independents finance firms globally.

Quartix announces new CFO

Supplier of vehicle tracking systems, Quartix has announced Emily Rees as its new chief financial officer and has joined the board of Quartix Holdings as an executive director.

Rees joined the company as finance director in April and will be based at the Newtown office as soon as it reopens.

She brings more than a decade of experience in finance, having most recently served as regional head of finance and human resources for Western Europe for Ecco Shoes.

Her previous roles include senior financial positions within Pizza Express (restaurants) and Tesco Stores.

Rees is a member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accounts and holds a BSc (Hons) in Government and Economics from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Rees replaces Dan Mendis who has stepped down from the role and who will now devote his time entirely to commercial and operational matters. 

Andy Walters, chief executive officer of Quartix, said: "We are delighted to welcome Emily to the board at Quartix.

“The financial and commercial experience she has gained in her previous roles will be of great use in her new role. She has quickly developed a good understanding of our business and we are pleased to confirm her appointment to the board.”

Auto Data Solutions appoints Mark Bassford as product and innovation director

With the appointment of Mark Bassford as product and innovation director, Auto Data Solutions said it is ‘gearing up for growth’. 

The company said, Bassford will lead the company strategy in supporting fleets to use data and technology in a period of rapid change for the industry. 

Formerly the head of strategic partnerships Cap HPI, Bassford has worked with automotive organisations ranging from large dealer groups to auction companies and data providers, to develop data partnerships and integrations.

The appointment follows as Auto Data Solutions announces a new partnership with Autovia, the media group, whose brands include Auto Express, Car Throttle, Carbuyer, Driver Power, evo, Octane, Vantage, Driving Electric and BuyACar.

John Webb, managing director of demand generation at Autovia, said: "The team at Auto Data Solutions impressed us with their domain expertise in the automotive sector.

“They bring a huge amount of experience in using data to solve customers' problems and create cross-industry partnerships. Both teams share a passion for moving the industry forward."

Bassford said: "I join Auto Data Solutions at an exciting time in its development.

“The digital transformation agenda has never been more important to the industry, and we bring unrivalled experience and expertise to help companies navigate the changes.

“Our work with Autovia, a global leading brand, shows the value of putting innovation at the heart of a business."

Hiyacar names Jason Frank as CFO

Car-sharing platform Hiyacar has announced the appointment of Jason Frank as its chairman and CFO.

Hiyacar said Frank has had a presence at hiyacar since 2018 after leading a major investment round in the company.

Since then, he has advised the management team on fundraising and insurance, whilst enabling the management team to enhance the user experience, the company said.  

Frank brings 25 years of experience in spearheading projects across the automotive and financial sectors, with a ‘track record’ of performance improvement, financial management and data analytics, said hiyacar.

Frank will maintain a focus on user experience for customers and business partners.

Co-founder and CEO of Hiyacar, Graeme Risby said: “Jason Frank has been a great asset to us for a number of years, so to have him on the team permanently is something we are very excited about. His thirst to learn will continue to help us grow our presence in even more cities across the UK.”

The appointment comes during the launch of Hiyacar in Edinburgh - the platform's first introduction outside of England.

The platform has also recently partnered with YourParkingSpace.co.uk, enabling drivers to find and book parking, offering hire cars to people who may be sharing their parking space but need a car on occasion.

Cazoo appoints Veronica Sharma as group chief people officer

Cazoo has announced the appointment of Veronica Sharma as its group chief people officer.

Sharma will take up her role in August when she will join the Cazoo executive team and report directly to founder and CEO, Alex Chesterman and will be responsible for all leadership, culture, capability, and talent management across the group.

Sharma’s most recent role includes working as an advisor in the technology and private equity space.

Prior to that, she was group chief people officer at Photobox and Moonpig where she led a large-scale cultural transformation across Europe, according to Cazoo.

The company said she has been instrumental in pioneering progressive people solutions, demonstrated through her responsibility for talent and organisation development at eBay and leading the change programme in support of the Heathrow Terminal 5 opening.

Chesterman said: “I am very pleased to welcome Veronica to the Cazoo team.

“Her experience in transforming working practices in large organisations, driving diversity and instilling high-performance cultures will be invaluable as we continue to grow and deliver on our mission of providing the best car buying experience for consumers across the UK and Europe.”