LATEST appointments in the fleet industry.

New director of sales for Cadillac and Corvette

MALCOLM Wade is now director of sales at Cadillac and Corvette Europe. He moves from being managing director of Cadillac and Corvette UK, and takes up his new post in Breukelen, the Netherlands. He also retains his current UK responsibilities. Wade replaces Ewoud Vroegop, who is now director of sales at Kroymans Hummer Europe. Wade has extensive motor industry experience. He has been chief operating officer of Polk in Europe and managing director of Mitac. Before that, he spent 12 years with motor manufacturers, rising to sales and marketing director for Volvo Cars UK and managing director of Rolls-Royce and Bentley for the UK and Middle East.

AVIS has shaken up its senior management team with a number of changes. Paul Hainsworth, formerly operations director, is now fleet and operations director following Carolyn Emberton’s retirement. Emberton will remain on the board as a non-executive adviser. Business development director Daniel McCarthy becomes commercial director, responsible for business development and marketing. Stuart Gent, the managing director, will take responsibility for corporate customers and Roger Grainger, head of sales, will report directly to him.

JANET Burr, currently head of HR at Volvo Car UK, is moving to the same position at Hyundai Motor UK. She will start her new job in February.

EXPRESS delivery firm Business Post Group has made Guy Buswell its new chief executive. He has been on the board since 1998, and managing director of the firm’s mail division since 2002. Buswell has been with Business Post since 1989, apart from a three-year break in the mid-nineties. He re-joined the company in 1997, becoming sales and marketing director. Steve Patrick is now in charge of the mail delivery arm of the company’s UK Mail venture. Patrick, has been sales and marketing director for UK Mail since 2004 and takes the reins from Guy Buswell. Before arriving at UK Mail, Patrick spent eight-and-a-half years at Royal Mail.

CLAIMS management firm CCL UK Group has promoted Austin Snelgrove to sales and marketing director. He joined CCL’s head office team in 1999 as a management trainee. He then became an authorised hire account manager, general manager in 2001, then group operations manager in 2004. In 2005 his role changed to business development manager, handling key accounts and targeting new business.

RENTAL firm Reflex Vehicle Solutions has recruited a new administration manager, the first appointment in a multi-million pound expansion plan. Ali Forrest will manage all of the business’s administration and will also be responsible for purchase ledger, special projects and managing stock control. Before joining Reflex, Ali was PA to the Bishop of Durham. Her other roles have included PA to the commercial director and financial director at Tallent Engineering in Newton Aycliffe, and 12 years at Northgate, where she worked in administration and e-business.

TOYOTA has welcomed Shimpei Kobayashi as chairman of Toyota GB. He succeeds Kimiaki ‘Ken’ Luroki, who held the position since October 2000 and now returns to a post in Japan. Kobayashi joined Toyota in 1976 and has held a number of positions in Japan, Europe and the USA. He is tasked with continuing 13 years of growth in the UK.

FLEET management firm Appleyard Vehicle Contracts has appointed three new managers. New national account manager James Maguire joins the five-strong sales team, while Phil Freeman and Steve Rushton are the new business development managers. Appleyard plans to add to the three recruits, and expand the business development team further.