Industry jobs: Roles filled at Mercedes-Benz, Europcar, Ryze Hydrogen, Moto Novo Finance, Autotech Group and the AA and Drivetech

Mercedes names Calum James as head of fleet for UK van division

Mercedes-Benz UK has announced the appointment of Calum James as the new head of fleet for its van division, effective immediately.

He has worked for the brand’s passenger car business for nine years; holding positions in fleet sales development, customer services and most recently, serving as a national fleet sales manager, where he was responsible for driving the growth of corporate end-user sales.

He said: “Mercedes-Benz has always been at the forefront of automotive innovation, and I look forward to working closely with our strategic partners and retailers to drive our fleet strategy forward.

“Our focus on electric vehicles and digital solutions presents immense potential, and I am committed to ensuring that our customers receive the highest level of support and satisfaction.”

James will report into Sarah Palfreyman, sales director for the UK’s van division.

She added: “We are delighted to welcome someone of Calum’s calibre. With his extensive experience in fleet management and his passion for delivering outstanding customer service, I am confident he will play a pivotal role in our leadership team during this exciting, transformative period.”

AA and Drivetech prepare for future growth with two appointments

AA Business Services and Drivetech, part of the AA, has appointed Sarah Millward, formerly AA B2C strategy director, SMR, to director of OEM and new business, while Leo Taylor is now head of products.

Millward has been part of the AA team for 22 years, covering a number of roles, mostly in roadside operations.

This includes managing The AA’s prestigious ’yellow’ fleet, the parts supply chain, uniforms and consumables, as well as commercial products Key Assist, Fuel Assist and Battery Assist services, while more recently developing the brand’s direct-to-consumer strategy for service, maintenance & repair (SMR).

In her new role, Millward will lead and own The AA’s manufacturer relationships. She said: “I am lucky enough to have had multiple roles across the company which has given me a broad and deep understanding of all parts of the AA, as well as the automotive industry.

“I am excited to be sharing my vast experience with the business services team and our customers.”

Since joining in 2020, Taylor has brought a wealth of experience and history of fast-paced intrapreneurship to his Drivetech role, following almost 20 years of experience in business development, sales strategy, new product introductions and product management in roles at businesses such as Alphabet and BMW Group.

“There is a significant business opportunity for the AA to provide more tailored services for business customers, and an opportunity for us to forge stronger relationships with our customers as a result,” said Taylor.

“I’m really excited about bringing my substantial OEM and Drivetech experience into the wider AA Business Services remit, as we lay the ground for substantial future growth, while also aligning our products with the new consumer duty regulations that are coming in. The opportunities in this sector really are immense.”

James Starling, director, AA Business Services, explained that prospects for product development growth span across all areas of the AA and Drivetech, including mobility, accident management, banking, insurance, SMR and driver training, as part of its work to help drivers, fleets, and OEMs with optimising the customer experience and delivering the transition to electric vehicles.

He added: “As a business, we are fully committed to supporting businesses with this pivotal change with innovation and drive, every mile of the way.”

Europcar names Tom Middleditch as new head of electric mobility

Europcar Mobility Group UK is increasing its focus on electric vehicles (EVs) with the creation of a new head of electric mobility role.

Tom Middleditch has been appointed to the new role to accelerate electric vehicle rental usage.

He said: “I will be working closely with teams and EV experts across the business to build the EV community where we share plans, create alignment and gain momentum to reach and exceed our eco goals as soon as possible.”

Ron Santiago, managing director of Europcar Mobility Group UK, added: “Europcar is committed to reducing the environmental impact of its business and its fleet, and this new role will ensure we can fast-track our green initiatives.

“In the experienced hands of Tom Middleditch, this dedicated EV role will provide the right focus for more collaboration with all our teams, consolidating our EV activities into a single holistic strategy.

“Tom’s experience and passion for greener motoring will ensure he is perfectly placed to take the strategy forward successfully.”

MotoNovo Finance strengthens senior leadership team

MotoNovo Finance (MNF) has announced the expansion of its senior leadership team with three senior external appointments.

Leanne Christmas (pictured above) joins as conduct and business risk director; Alice Sweet becomes product and proposition director; and James Gearey (both pictured below) has been appointed as interim commercial and performance director. 

The new additions will report to MD Richard Jones, as he continues to reshape the business he joined in February.

They will each play a crucial role in developing and delivering MNF’s new strategy and leading the business into the future.

The three roles have all been newly created and will complement Jones’ existing senior leadership team.

Christmas joins the business from BMW Financial Services and Alphabet, where she has spent seven years as chief compliance officer, and more recently, she was responsible for the controlling and treasury function.

Sweet has held senior roles in Lloyds Banking Group, where she worked across retail and business banking, and most recently, the Royal London Group, where she was responsible for shaping the business strategy and building the proposition roadmap for Royal London's consumer division. Most recently, she led Royal London's UK life insurance business.

Gearey has held senior leadership roles at Siemens Financial Services and Aviva across insurance, commercial and asset-based finance.

He joins MotoNovo from Covea Insurance, where he was managing director for personal lines and protection.

Jones said: "I am delighted to welcome three new members to my executive team, who bring considerable capability and expertise to help drive our business forward. 

“These are exciting times for MotoNovo Finance as we embrace an era of unprecedented change in the motor industry and I am confident we now have the right team in place to help our business embrace the challenges and opportunities that present themselves.”

Mark Armitage joins Autotech Group as commercial director

Autotech Group has announced the appointment of Mark Armitage as commercial director to drive the growth of its four divisions – Recruit, Training, Academy and Connect.

With more than 30 years of industry experience, most recently at The Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI), he brings a wealth of knowledge to the role.

He has worked across dealer groups, the Department of Education, and the RAC in a range of roles covering training and business development.

Alongside senior management positions within the IMI, he was also instrumental in setting them up as an Apprentice End Point Assessment Organisation.

He said: “Over the years, I have got to know Gavin (White, CEO of Autotech Group) and the team at Autotech Group, and I have always been impressed with the company’s tenacity and ability to tackle the issues facing the sector head on.

“The recent addition of Autotech Connect to the company’s portfolio cemented my desire to work with them as I have always been a strong advocate for introducing digital and technological solutions into a business.”

White added: “While having a great reputation within the sector, and strong industry connections, his experience, from being an automotive apprentice through to training and development roles and driving forward the IMI, really makes him an excellent fit within our business.

“We are looking forward to seeing how Mark will drive our company divisions forward and take our expertise to new, untapped sub sectors of the industry.”

Three senior managers join Ryze Hydrogen

Hydrogen pioneer Ryze has appointed three new senior managers to its team to drive forward its work in helping the UK meet its net zero ambitions.

That includes a new chief executive in Neil Isaacson, who has worked across Europe, the Middle East and the UK, helping companies bring to market new products, services, and propositions that help to transform performance.

His passion for addressing climate change began with senior roles at Liberty Global and Drax Group. More recently, he served as CEO of public EV charge point operator Believ.

Garry Birmingham, Ryze’s new managing director, infrastructure delivery, is the former programme director for carbon reduction at First Bus.

His role included playing a key role in producing the long-term strategy for the firm and delivering the UK’s largest rapid charging hub, in Glasgow.

More recently he was responsible for successful bids for Scotzeb and Zebra funding, resulting in a further 400 buses and seven depots that will be delivered and operational by March 2024 and will include four zero-emission bus fleets.

New service solutions director, Carl Buckingham, meanwhile, is a chartered engineer who has worked in the energy and sustainability sector for the past 35 years with experience in distributed energy, low carbon buildings and transportation.

For the past 10 years, he has been focusing predominantly on the transport sector developing electrification solutions for large fleet operators, working for organisations such as SSE Enterprise, UK Power Networks Services and Zenobe Energy.

Isaacson said: “I am delighted to be joining the Ryze team and to be joining with two new colleagues who have so much experience in the zero-emissions sector.

“If we are serious about meeting net zero targets, we have to be honest and accept that there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution. It will take a range of technologies and hydrogen is a key part of that.

“Industry is faced with a lot of challenges given the pace of change we need to see, but those challenges also present enormous opportunities and Ryze is perfectly placed to help companies meet their objectives.”

Ryze supplies clean hydrogen and hydrogen infrastructure for transport, industry and other applications, providing complete, customer-focused, solutions including hydrogen sourcing, transport, distribution and infrastructure.