Lancashire Daf appoints new fleet sales manager

Lancashire Daf has appointed Chris Griffiths as fleet sales manager to take responsibility for truck sales to large national fleets.

Griffiths replaces long-serving Lancashire Daf fleet sales boss Harvey King who has been appointed as CEO at operators, Chris Wright (Baildon) and Chris Wright Road Planing.

Griffiths brings with him 34-years of industry experience, recently departing Leyland Trucks – home of Daf-branded truck manufacturing in the UK – as chief engineer for medium-duty DAF models.

He said: “I’ve been keen for some time to work at what I consider is the sharp end of the industry.

“I’ve always enjoyed talking to operators, discussing solutions and generally talking trucks. I’ve also built-up a brilliant relationship with Lancashire Daf over the years, and I think my CV gives me a head-start and underlines my credentials with truck operators.”

Paul Entwistle, CEO at Lancashire Daf, added: “We’re thrilled to have someone of Chris’s calibre with us. His credentials are impeccable, and he already knows our customer base. I think too, that a customer facing role is ideal for Chris as he is a truck-man through and through.”

Yodel appoints new chief financial officer

Yodel has appointed a new chief financial officer (CFO) to drive the business’ continuing growth following its acquisition in February. 

Dan Hobden joins from fellow YDLGP consortium member Shift, where he was CFO, following two years at Gett.

He served in several roles before being appointed VP of finance and operations, taking responsibility for all finance, supply and regulatory relationships in the UK.

Hobden has a background in accountancy and investment banking, bringing specialist experience in exploring and analysing investment strategies at the likes of Credit Suisse to his new role, says Yodel.

Mike Hancox, CEO of Yodel, said: “We are incredibly grateful for departing CFO Stuart Caldwell’s invaluable work in leading the finance team.

“His work has been instrumental in positioning Yodel strongly for this next chapter, whilst Dan brings a wealth of experience in investment to the role as we explore new avenues to build on our existing growth momentum.”

Hobden added: “With the support of colleagues and Yodel’s strong position to date, I am very excited about the business’s future prospects and I look forward to exploring new avenues to build the financial support to ensure the organisation’s continued success.”

YDLGP was formed earlier this year to create a leading large-scale logistics provider, combining Yodel’s parcel delivery expertise with Shift’s AI-driven platform. 

City Auction Group strengthens senior management team

City Auction Group has announced four new senior appointments for its vehicle remarketing and logistics operations based in the Peterborough HQ following record growth over the past 12 months.

Mark Thomas joins the group as the new corporate sales director, with a record spanning three decades working in senior management roles at BCA, MBFS, Fiat/Alfa Romeo, Adesa and more recently TL Darby VW.

In his new role at City Auction Group, he will be responsible for further developing the business across both the corporate and dealer markets with particular emphasis on manoeuvring the dealer/part exchange sale to a stand-alone evening sale on Monday 5pm from May 2024. This will coincide with the expansion at the Peterborough centre of a new 150 vehicle indoor viewing arena and enhanced acreage in the parking zone for sale vehicles. 

He said: “I have witnessed the growth at City Auction Group and I’m delighted to be joining at the present time as physical auctions are thriving again after the last few years of online only auctions.

“With the Group’s blend of experience and enthusiasm, it makes it a perfect combination to facilitate the growth in demand within the vehicle remarketing sector. 

The former head of aftersales and operations at Cazoo, Daniel Smith, has also joined the Group’s logistics arm PurpleRock as the new operations director. 

He will be responsible for developing PurpleRock’s vehicle defleet, logistics and repair solutions across all locations including new ventures to be announced in the NW and Midlands. 

In addition, the group has made two internal appointments to future proof the growth with Chris Martins leading the PurpleRock Logistics business taking on the role of chief operating officer with immediate effect. 

He will be responsible for extending the PurpleRock Logistics footprint across the UK and further developing its vehicle delivery locations across the UK which is currently operating at 15 regional centres. 

Zaiga Jinkinson has also been promoted to operations director at City Auction Group. In her new role, Zaiga will be responsible for the auction operations including planning, execution, and post auction activities. 

Michael Tomalin, CEO of City Auction Group, said: “We are delighted to welcome such talented and experienced automotive professionals to our senior management team.”

Aston Barclay appoints new auction centre manager

Aston Barclay has appointed Dean Ashworth as Wakefield’s auction centre manager.

With more than two decades of experience in the automotive sector, he joins from Available Car, where he worked as general manager.

Prior to this, Dean held roles at Marshall Motor Group, Manheim and Inchape, working with brands such as Audi, Porsche and Volkswagen.    

Ashworth will work alongside the existing Wakefield centre team to further enhance the auction Centre’s operations, continuing the delivery of exceptional value and service to both the team at Wakefield and key customers.  

He said: “I am thrilled to be joining the Aston Barclay Group and working alongside the brilliant team at Wakefield.

“Aston Barclay has a fantastic heritage in the remarketing sector, and I am looking forward to working alongside new and existing vendors and buyers to help drive growth amongst all our customers.”  

InPost announce new UK CEO

InPost has announced the appointment of Neil Kuschel as UK CEO with immediate effect.

After a 20-year career with DHL, Kuschel joined the cross-border e-commerce enabler, Global-e, as European CEO, taking them through a successful Nasdaq IPO.

Michael Rouse, CEO InPost International, said: “We are delighted to welcome Neil to the InPost team at a pivotal time in the UK market as we continue to expand our reach and drive locker volumes. 

“His extensive experience and in-depth knowledge of the industry will prove invaluable as we build on our achievements and continue to accelerate our growth strategy in the UK.

“I am confident that under Neil’s leadership, InPost is best placed to continue disrupting the UK out-of-home e-commerce logistics market and I look forward to working with him closely.”

Kuschel added: “Our innovative approach to lockers aligns perfectly with the evolving preferences of consumers for convenient, fast, affordable and sustainable collection and delivery options.

“By leveraging technology and strategic partnerships, we aim to revolutionise the way parcels are delivered and received.”

WhoCanFixMyCar announces two senior hires

WhoCanFixMyCar has appointed two new hires to its senior leadership team in the roles of chief technology officer (CTO) and chief financial officer (CFO).

With more than 20 years’ experience across a diverse range of sectors, Amanda Webb is named the new CFO.

In addition, Craig Livings joins the car maintenance marketplace as CTO and brings a wealth of experience in IT and software engineering, spanning almost 20 years.

Kevern Thompson (pictured), CEO at WhoCanFixMyCar, said: “We’re very pleased to have Amanda and Craig onboard at such an exciting time for the business.

“They are fantastic additions to our growing team, and I look forward to the new energy and expertise they will bring to WhoCanFixMyCar.”

He added: “With our planned projections for growth, and the innovative way in which we are going to challenge how software development has historically been launched as a go-to-market concept, it is essential that we embrace a solid and reliable leadership team and is an absolute necessity for our success.

“The additions to our team will be huge assets in our strategy for the short- and long- term future of WhoCanFixMyCar.”