The first two months of 2026 have already seen a notable wave of movement across the fleet and automotive sector, underlining just how competitive the talent market has become. With organisations investing in growth, technology and new energy solutions, experienced leaders and specialists are in high demand. These recent appointments and career moves reflect a tight labour market, where attracting and retaining capable people is clearly a strategic priority for businesses across the industry.
Isabella Stout started a new position as Fleet Manager – Small Fleet at SG Fleet.
Tim Shaw is now Fleet Coordinator at Tradiespec.
Denise McKechnie joined GWM Australia & New Zealand as Sales & Fleet Manager.
Ryan Coyne stepped into a new role as Sales Manager – Haulmax Wingman at Australian Tyre Traders.
Wade Harriman has taken over as Managing Director at Autorola Group – Australia.
Bryce Richardson has joined Corpay as Corporate Sales Manager – ANZ.
Allan Whyte is now Fleet Maintenance Manager at Liberty Oil.
Wade Fan has a new position as Dealer Business Development Manager at Omoda Jaecoo Australia.
Lexie Bova has joined Hidrive as Partnerships & Events Manager.
Adrian Magu is now Fleet Development Manager QLD NT at GWM Australia & New Zealand.
Gavin Liu started a new role as Regional Manager (Sales & Aftersales) – West as Bucher Municipal.
Philip Browne is now Managing Director at Test My EV.
Rodney Dalpadado has joined Polestar as Fleet Sales Manager.
Stephen Brown started a new role as Head of Product – Novated Leasing at McMillan Shakespeare.
Aaron Jarvis is now Vice President EMEA at Geotab.
Darren McGinty has joined The Benevolent Society as Fleet Coordinator.
Corbin Luther has a new role as General Manager at Rise of the Phoenix.
Tyler Colless has started a new position as State Development Specialist at NTI.
Anthony Petrocco is now State Fleet Sales Manager VIC/TAS at Mitsubishi Motors Australia.
Alex Gu was appointed as the new CEO at Geely Auto Australia.
Danny Lenartic has a new position as CEO at JMC Motor Australia.
Rahul Anand Senguttuvan has joined Directed Technologies as a Business Analyst.
Ben Hutt was appointed as the new Managing Director at Janus Electric.
James Challis started a new position as National Sales Manager at Fuelco.
Rob Cowell joined GWM Australia & New Zealand as Fleet Development Manager WA/SA.
Luke Callaway has stepped into the role of General Manager – Oceania at Hendrickson.
Andrew Pendlebury was promoted to Executive Manager – Engineering at Hendrickson Asia Pacific.
Paul Riley has joined Australian Electric Vehicle Specialists as Business Development Manager.
Glen Walker is now General Manager – Operations at Austruck X.
Mike Smith has joined Booran Motors as Fleet & Business Development Manager.
Grayden Leaver has a new role as Executive General Manager – Construction Equipment at CJD Equipment.
Sean Killen as promoted to Senior Vice President at Geotab.
Tom van Grinsven joined JET Charge as Senior Business Development Manager.
Bo Christensen was appointed as Head of Fleet Transition at NewVolt.
Hayden Russell was appointed as Regional Fleet Manager at Smart Environmental.
Jake Hooper has stepped into the role as National Maintenance Manager at Splend.
Jeff Nicotra started a new job as Key Account Manager at Ford Australia.
Tim Crilly moved to JAC Motors Australia as Head of Fleet.
Sam Dabestani is now Corporate Sales Manager – Rental, FMO & Large Fleet at BMW Australia.
- More Payload, Less Red Tape for HiLux Fleets
Fleet operators looking to increase Toyota HiLux payload capacity without adding unnecessary compliance costs are being encouraged to consider GVM upgrades that keep vehicles within the 3500kg NA category. Pedders says selecting the highest available payload upgrade is not always the most cost-effective answer, with fleet operators needing to balance legal compliance, operational efficiency and - Fleet AI is moving beyond chatbots, but the data comes firstFleet Managers are already using artificial intelligence to write policies, analyse spreadsheets, summarise documents and speed up routine administration. The bigger shift, however, will not come from asking a chatbot better questions. It will come when AI can safely use an organisation’s own data to complete repeatable fleet tasks. Eden Shirley, Managing Director and Founder
- Depots, substations and homes: Ausgrid’s different approach to EV chargingAusgrid is a finalist in the Fleet of the Year category in the 2026 Fleet News Group Awards. In the third article in our six-part series, we look beyond the electric vehicles and examine how Ausgrid is designing a charging system around the way its fleet actually operates. Fleet electrification is often discussed as a
- Genesis GV90 Goes Big on Electric LuxuryGenesis has unveiled the GV90, its first full-size flagship SUV and a new electric halo model that combines a 123.5kWh battery, 490kW dual-motor powertrain and an estimated 500km driving range with an extensive list of luxury and safety technologies. Based on the NEOLUN concept revealed in 2024, the production GV90 will be offered in standard
- AI turns fleet accident data into a safety action planFleet accident reporting has traditionally focused on what happened: the number of claims, total cost, location and driver details. The harder task is identifying why incidents are occurring, which risks deserve immediate attention and what actions will make a practical difference. Summit Fleet Leasing and Management is using its AI Fleet Insights platform to help
