One of the UK fleet industry’s best-known personalities, Stewart Whyte, has tendered his resignation as a director of ACFO.

Whyte, who is managing director of Fleet Audits and has been involved in ACFO for more than 25 years, will, however, continue to be closely involved with the organisation. His resignation takes effect on September 30.

Whyte said: “I have decided to resign as a director for a number of reasons. However, the major reasons are to avoid a potential conflict of interest which may develop with one particular aspect of my Fleet Audits work; together with a need to accommodate changing domestic circumstances. Also, I believe, that after 17 years as a director the time is right for space to be made for new blood to be introduced to the board.

“Nevertheless, I remain enormously committed to ACFO. It is a tremendous organisation and one in which I passionately believe. I will continue to give ACFO my full support and ensure that Fleet Audits maintains its active membership.

“Additionally, Fleet Audits will continue to provide a full secretariat service to ACFO and will meet and exceed its contractual obligations as it has always tried to do.”

ACFO chairman Julie Jenner said: “I, board colleagues and the entire ACFO membership have hugely valued Stewart’s fleet knowledge and experience gained over many years.

“Although he has resigned as a director, I am delighted that Stewart will continue to be closely involved in ACFO both through the membership of Fleet Audits and the delivery of a comprehensive secretariat service to the membership.

“The fact that ACFO has expanded to become an influential organisation in many areas, notably in dealings with a wide cross-section of Government departments, is due in no small measure to Stewart’s dedication in promoting the views of fleet decision-makers through ACFO.”

Tony Leigh, who joined the board of ACFO 12 months before Mr Whyte and is today the organisation’s company secretary and head of car fleet services at PricewaterhouseCoopers, said: “Stewart and I joined the board of ACFO at about the same time, when the last remaining founders of the Association retired. From that time, ACFO progressed from being just an Association into the organisation which it is today.

“This transformation was possible in no small way to the professionalism of Stewart and his team, who developed the membership secretariat into a lively, pro-active support arm of ACFO. Stewart was instrumental in establishing the current ACFO web site and the weekly Newsfeed, keeping members informed about ACFO.

“Stewart’s work in the fleet industry has proved invaluable in providing information both to the board and ACFO National Council on developments within our industry. His work with both Government departments and related organisations has established ACFO as the representative of fleet operators at the highest level. We’ve both seen Government ministers come and go and we survived them all.

“The board will lose an enthusiastic and dedicated advocate for ACFO but I’m sure that Stewart will always be there to lend helpful and thoughtful advice when needed.”

The now five-member ACFO board will decide shortly whether to co-opt a director to replace Mr Whyte and bring it back to full strength.