The 2025 Australasian Fleet Education & Leadership Summit opened with a powerful keynote from Gerrard Gosens OAM — a man who is blind, but whose vision for life, leadership, and teamwork offered profound insights for fleet managers across Australia.
While Gosens is not a fleet industry insider, his inspiring address made a clear connection between the challenges he’s faced in sport, business, and life, and those encountered daily by fleet professionals. With a blend of humour, honesty and lived experience, he illustrated how adversity, when met with teamwork and purpose, can unlock unexpected growth — both personally and professionally.
A Life Beyond Limits
From being the youngest Australian ever to be matched with a guide dog, to running ultramarathons with a team of 35 soldiers, founding the Australian Paralympic Committee from a bedroom, and later running a successful chocolate business, Gosens’ achievements defy expectation. Yet, he was quick to dismiss personal accolades, instead turning the spotlight to his teams — those who guided him, trained with him, and believed in the shared mission.
That, he said, is where fleet managers can draw inspiration: by recognising that success doesn’t come from the individual, but from the collective effort behind the scenes.
Fleet as a Tool for Culture and Brand
Gosens invited fleet managers to think beyond vehicles as mere transport. “Your fleet,” he said, “isn’t just a perk or a tool — it’s a representation of your brand, your culture, and your values.” He noted that drivers interact with their vehicles at the start and end of every workday, making them the most consistent touchpoint in many businesses.
He urged managers to reframe how they talk about vehicles — not as fringe benefits, but as business-critical tools that can promote safety, support wellbeing, generate revenue, and reinforce internal culture. “Would someone spill half a cup of coffee on their work laptop?” he asked rhetorically. “Then why is it okay to treat the car with less respect?”
Customers Are Everywhere — Even Inside the Business
Gosens offered a powerful analogy when he recounted receiving the same ‘gift’ year after year from a mayor who didn’t recognise his needs as a blind person — a pen. “One size fits all doesn’t work in leadership or in customer service,” he said. Fleet managers, he added, need to remember they have internal customers — drivers, technicians, and other stakeholders — as well as external clients. “Understanding their unique needs and communicating clearly is vital.”
The Importance of Communication and Culture
Holding up a simple resistance band — a tool used to stay tethered to swim guides in the ocean — Gosens made his most poignant analogy. “This is how we stay connected. When it tightens, we know something’s wrong — someone’s slowing or drifting off course. That’s communication. And that’s what makes a team work.”
He encouraged fleet managers to create similar feedback mechanisms in their operations, not just relying on top-down messages but fostering an environment where the team feels heard, connected, and aligned.
Success Is a Journey — And the Recipe Always Changes
As a chocolatier with two cafes, Gosens avoids fixed recipes, adjusting ingredients based on seasonal quality. “Change is constant. Growth is optional,” he said. The same applies in fleet management. Whether due to technology, regulation, geography, or staffing, managers must continually adapt — adjusting strategies, training, and expectations to suit new circumstances.
He likened managing a fleet to preparing for an ultra-marathon: you don’t know what the road ahead will throw at you, but with the right team, tools, and mindset, you can go the distance — even if the original destination disappears, like his dream to run the Sydney-to-Melbourne Westfield ultramarathon, which was cancelled just before he was set to compete.
Clearing the Windscreen
In closing, Gosens used the metaphor of a dirty windscreen. “Some people collect so much grime, they forget what the big picture is,” he said. As fleet managers, he urged attendees to take the time to clean their own ‘windscreens’ — to reset perspective, refocus on purpose, and lead their teams with clarity and compassion.
Fleet, in Gosens’ vision, isn’t just about vehicles — it’s about people, purpose, and the power of culture. His final message: “Strangers leave my shop as friends because they know why we do what we do. Can your drivers say the same about your fleet?”
His keynote wasn’t just inspiring — it was a masterclass in leadership for every fleet professional in the room.
