Fleet Management Company Executives Reveal Their Visions for Fleet

A perennial favorite of I&E attendees, the Fleet Management Executive Panel returned once again to I&E in 2019. This session afforded attendees the opportunity to hear directly from the leaders of major fleet management companies as they discussed what they see coming in the near future with regard to procurement, sourcing, inventory, sustainability, global expansion, and much more.

Mike Joyce, Executive Director, American Automotive Leasing Association, moderated the panel that included:

• Tom Callahan, President, Donlen
• Matt Dyer, CEO and President, LeasePlan USA
• Jay Forbes, President and CEO, Element Fleet Management
• Daniel Frank, CEO and President, Wheels
• Bob White, President, ARI

Some Key Insights from the Panelists:

Tom Callahan - "A key attribute to being hired is the ability to write up and sell a business case - to be able to get familiar with key process improvement tools, but taking a practical approach... also, the ability to present bad news (when necessary) rather than needing to present only the 'green' news to higher-ups."

Matt Dyer - "By using data in the right way, we can identify (risky) drivers, but also quantify crashes that have been avoided," allowing fleets to further reduce their risk exposure.

Jay Forbes - "Continuing to drive down TCO, evolving driving practices for safer driving, and using data to drive down costs" are what his clients say are most important to them today.

Dan Frank - "Service industries have a strong safety culture. They tend to use safety as the lead. If you have a strong EH&S department, leverage it."

Bob White - "There's a change in the way tech is developed today. Today, many tech innovations (fleet uses) are developed in the consumer world, not B2B as in the past. Technology has changed the expectations your customers have for you. When you think of service, you have to adapt to 'fast and easy,' but also providing greater value."