Industry jobs: Roles filled at Santander, FLA, Certas Energy, Freenow, Automotive Council, Priority Freight and Silverstone Leasing

Santander Consumer UK appoints Forbes to lead leasing and contract hire growth

Santander Consumer UK has appointed Russell Forbes as sales director with responsibility for growing the business’ leasing and contract hire operations.

Forbes brings considerable corporate fleet experience to the role, joining with immediate effect from Audi UK where he was national contract hire and leasing manager.

He was previously used car Remarketing manager at Nissan Motor GB, having started his automotive career in retailing at the Phoenix Car Company.

Santander Consumer UK entered the corporate leasing and contract hire market in 2017 and currently has the UK’s eighth largest risk fleet of cars and vans, according to the Fleet News FN50. 

By the end of 2030 it plans to treble the size of its fleet and be a top five player in the sector.

Aaron Cardoso, Santander’s head of leasing, said: “We are delighted to welcome Russell Forbes to the business. He brings a wealth of knowledge to this leadership role, having over 20 years’ management experience in the automotive sector.

“Santander has achieved considerable growth in its contract hire and leasing operations over recent years and Russell will ensure the momentum we have achieved will accelerate as we expand this side of our business,” he said.  

Forbes added: “I welcome this opportunity to lead the next stage of growing Santander’s leasing and contract hire operations and look forward to building existing partnerships and establishing new ones.”

Shanika Amarasekara to take the helm at the FLA

The board of the Finance and Leasing Association (FLA) has appointed Shanika Amarasekara as director general (DG), succeeding Stephen Haddrill who retires at the end of July.

Amarasekara will take up the role at the beginning of August.

She served most recently as chief impact officer at the British Business Bank, where she oversaw policy, strategy, economics, sustainability and public affairs.

Prior to that, she was the general counsel, playing a key role in the design and implementation of national finance schemes during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Her earlier career includes senior legal and advisory roles at the International Islamic Liquidity Management Corporation, where she worked on cross-border Islamic finance structures, the Royal Bank of Scotland and at Allen and Overy.

She has also worked on projects related to fintech regulation, green finance, and financial inclusion at both domestic and international levels.

John Phillipou, chair of the FLA, said: “Stephen Haddrill, the outgoing DG, has done a great job modernising the FLA, and Shanika’s breadth of experience, range of contacts and astute industry insights will help shape the next phase of the Association’s development.”

Amarasekara added: “The finance and leasing sectors have a powerful role to play in driving sustainable growth, supporting innovation, and delivering fair outcomes for customers.

“The association already has a strong foundation - and I’m looking forward to working with the board, members and stakeholders to build even greater impact, visibility and value in the years ahead.”

Certas Energy appoints new head of fuel cards

Certas Energy has announced the appointment of Andrew Goodwin as its new head of fuel cards, succeeding Tim Shepherd, who has now retired having held the position for more than five years.

Goodwin rejoins Certas Energy, having spent 14 years at the company between 2008 and 2022, as national bunker manager, and almost two decades overall experience in the fuels industry.

He will manage a nationwide team of 30 employees with a new recruitment drive planned to further develop capabilities and support the commercial performance.

He said: “Certas Energy plays a unique role within the industry, and I’m looking forward to driving growth and innovation in our fuel cards offering with our customers at the heart of this.”

New leasing account manager for Silverstone Leasing

A new leasing account manager has been appointed at Northampton-based car and van leasing firm, Silverstone Leasing.

Joe Broxton has a decade of experience in the motor trade, working with various main dealers including Mazda, Nissan, Volvo and Kia.

He also has four years’ experience as a leasing broker and was an account manager in both the industrial and medical manufacturing industries for six years.

At Silverstone Leasing, he will be specialising in corporate customers, including sole traders, limited companies, company cars and fleet management, as well as personal leasing.

Silverstone Leasing managing director Scott Norville said: “Joe has already proven to be a great addition to Silverstone Leasing. He brings with him a wealth of relevant experience and knowledge which will be a brilliant asset to the team and to our customer base.”

Priority Freight appoints Mark McKenna

Time-critical logistics specialist, Priority Freight, has appointed Mark McKenna as general manager of its Dover head office.

McKenna brings more than two decades of industry experience, most recently serving as global operations director at B&H Worldwide, where he was also a member of the management board.

His tenure there focused on delivering high-performance, time-sensitive solutions in the aerospace sector - closely aligned with Priority Freight’s core capabilities.

His earlier career includes senior roles at Agility Logistics and UTi, underpinned by a degree in logistics and supply chain management.

“Mark’s appointment comes at a time of accelerated growth and increasing demand for agile, reliable logistics solutions,” said Neal Williams, Priority Freight’s CEO.

“His aviation and aerospace expertise, along with his deep operational insight, will be instrumental as we continue to enhance our proposition in time-critical markets.”

As general manager, McKenna assumes full P&L responsibility for the Dover operation, which handles a turnover of approximately £100 million.

His remit includes driving sustainable revenue growth, service innovation, and maintaining Priority Freight’s market-leading customer service standards.

New leadership for Automotive Council

The Automotive Council has appointed a new industry leader to drive the future success of the UK’s automotive sector.

Steve Marsh, executive director of vehicle programmes at Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), becomes industry co-chair, accompanying industry minister co-chair, Sarah Jones MP.

Marsh was appointed to his current role at JLR in 2024, having joined the company in 2022.

With more than 37 years of international automotive sector experience, previously working at Nissan, he began his career as an apprentice and strongly believes in bridging skill gaps through professional development initiatives.

He said: “I am honoured to take on the role of industry co-chair of the Automotive Council UK as our sector navigates an evolving global trade environment and the transformative shift towards connected, automated, and electrified vehicles.

“I am passionate about advancing the automotive industry and look forward to working alongside Sarah Jones MP and the council to help support the UK automotive industry to compete on the global stage, attract investment and foster the skills needed for our industry’s success.”

Freenow appoints new global marketing director

Freenow has appointed Tony Fletcher as global marketing director to focus on developing the strategic marketing vision and leading an international marketing team.

He has more than 20 years of experience as an international consumer marketing and brand leader, across 40 global markets and diverse sectors, including tech, retail, consumer goods and ecommerce. 

Prior to joining Freenow, he served as vice president of global advertising, media, and digital marketing at ‘Too Good To Go’ for more than three years. 

He said: “I’ll be working with marketing colleagues from multiple countries to strengthen our core taxi offering and improve our connection with customers in all of our markets.”