Nigel Sharp, sales director, Ford of Britain NIGEL Sharp moved from Europe to become sales director at Ford of Britain in January. Fleet News catches up with him.

What are your priorities for the Ford sales team?

Having secured 40 years of dominating the commercial vehicle charts for Transit, the team is working hard towards 30 years of car market leadership for Ford this year. We are working with our dealers to grow the business.

What challenges have you faced over the past six months?

While Ford’s 2006 outlook is good, the market remains fiercely competitive – so it’s a great time for customers to buy.

I have been re-learning the British market after working overseas for five years and enjoying re-establishing relationships with the dealer body.

What lessons has Europe taken from the UK market?

A lot of the acquisition trends, market sub-segments and fleet activities started here and later moved to mainland Europe.

What goals are you working towards now?

Encouraging drivers of competitor vehicles into Ford’s products!