Made up of van operators, the independent Governance Group steers the Van Excellence scheme by providing advice regarding standards and integrity of the industry.
A founder member of the Group since it was formed in 2010, Davies was voted as chair at a recent meeting when she was appointed the role.
Commenting on her new position, Davies said: “I am delighted to be taking over as chair of the Governance Group, and am particularly honoured to be the first woman to do so.
“The FTA's Van Excellence initiative is an industry-conceived and industry-led initiative, introduced to demonstrate that operators of all sizes can work together to put safety first and to encourage, inspire and mandate higher standards for the public good of the van industry.”
FTA head of vans – Mark Cartwright added: “Van Excellence is truly by the industry, for the industry. The Governance Group is made up of operators at the helm, and is a great example of how the industry best works together sharing and encouraging sound operational practices.
“Julie is the perfect choice as chair of the Group and I would like to congratulate and thank her for agreeing to take up the role.”