Lex Autolease has appointed Ashley Barnett as its new head of fleet consultancy.

Barnett (pictured) moves into the role from the position of principal consultant and replaces Lauren Pamma, who has been promoted within Lloyds Banking Group to a senior leadership role within its motor financing arm, Black Horse.

He brings more than 25 years’ experience in business and finance, including 18 years in the vehicle leasing division of Lloyds Bank.

Barnett said: “This is a pivotal time for vehicle leasing. The shifting legislative and technological environment means there’s a greater need than ever before for expert and insightful fleet management advice.

“As the UK’s leading fleet consultancy team, we are committed to helping organisations successfully navigate this changing landscape, and ensuring they get the right vehicle, for the right job.”

This appointment marks the end of a strong 12 months for the consultancy team, which won the Best Professional Services Team category at the 2017 IAFN Awards for its work on changes to optional remuneration arrangements and lease accounting rules.

Lex Autolease’s managing director Tim Porter added: “Our fleet consultancy team, under Ashley’s leadership, will continue to provide important support and guidance to our customers in a changing leasing market.

"With more than 380,000 vehicles on fleet, we have access to a significant amount of operational data, and leveraging this data to translate it into actionable insights for fleets is something we plan to focus on over the coming year.”