Fleet Logistics and two of its fleet customers have achieved success at the Fleet Europe Awards in Brussels, with Microsoft claiming the award for International Fleet Manager of the Year, Nokia Siemens Networks scooping the International Fleet Green Award and Fleet Logistics winning the second prize in the inaugural International Fleet Industry Award.  

The top award of the evening, which was attended by around 450 European fleet decision makers, went to Bruce MacLaren, Global Auto Program Manager for Microsoft, who was acclaimed International Fleet Manager of the Year 2010.

The International Fleet Manager of the Year Award, said the judging panel, rewarded the person having most successfully developed an international fleet management strategy and implemented an efficient car policy, leading to an optimized TCO and taking into account local differences and actual fleet trends.

Werner Berger of Nestlé, International Fleet Manager from last year, explained why the judging panel had elected Bruce MacLaren to be his successor.

“The new International Fleet Manager of the Year is a real fleet personality. This person has successfully created an international fleet program which provides scale and flexibility to meet the growing mobility needs of the company. He has hired and trained an international team made up of experts in the subject. This year’s winner has also a clear vision on fleet management KPI’s and has introduced a global car policy with a mandatory average CO2 emission limit of 130 g/km per vehicle.”

Hans-Georg Lutz, senior manager International Corporate Sales at Mercedes-Benz Cars, handed over the first prize to Bruce MacLaren. Microsoft has been a fleet customer of Fleet Logistics for the last six years.

The International Fleet Green Award went to Kimmo Kunnas, head of travel and fleet of Nokia Siemens Networks, another of Fleet Logistics’ valued fleet customers. 

The Award recognises a project focusing on eco-friendliness, balancing TCO optimisation with ecological aims, whilst taking into account driver satisfaction.

The jury’s decision to select Nokia Siemens Networks was unanimous, explained Lutz Hansen, Purchasing Fleet Manager, at Bayer Business Services and 2009 winner of the Fleet Green Award.

“The winner is a dedicated joint venture of two well known companies. This company has been able to establish its own global fleet procurement system with very few resources to cover all key countries and has been able to harmonize the different policies towards a strong green and sustainable approach. 

“Through a new low CO2 supportive policy this year’s winner has already reduced average CO2 emissions by over 18% at a European level. The company has clear reduction targets set for the future, with an average of CO2 emissions by car of only 70 g/km. The aim of the company, with a fleet of around 20,000 cars worldwide and 10,000 cars in Europe, is to beat the targets set by the EU by a minimum of two years.”

Edoardo Gamberini, Head of Fleet Marketing and Communication at Fiat Group Automobiles, handed over the trophy to Kimmo Kunnas.

As well as celebrating the success of its customers, Fleet Logistics also had a night to remember, claiming the second prize in the inaugural International Fleet Industry Award for its FleetCare fleet management solution.

The award was designed to highlight innovative approaches, tools, products or services offered by international fleet suppliers and was presented by Rainer Mielke, Director of Global Fleet at Skoda.

Peter Soliman, CEO of Fleet Logistics said: “Our heartiest congratulations to both Bruce MacLaren and Kimmo Kunnas and their teams for their outstanding efforts in winning the awards for International Fleet Manager of the Year and the International Fleet Green Award respectively.

“And, of course, we were delighted to be recognised in our own right in the first International Fleet Industry Award for our FleetCare fleet management service.”