Fleet industry stalwart Keith Allen has joined Licence Check as managing director with immediate effect, spearheading plans to expand its work into fleet consultancy.
At the same time, current general manager Terry Hiles is moving to an advisory and consultancy role as he takes a more strategic position within the licence checking and risk management business, ahead of retirement.
Allen is a well-known figure in the fleet industry with a background spanning 26 years. This includes 17 years at ALD Automotive, the last 14 as managing director, before his move to ARI Fleet in 2013 as managing director – a role he occupied for a further seven years. He was also chairman of the BVRLA’s Leasing and Fleet Management committee for three years.
Most recently he has been working as a consultant within the industry, which brought him into contact with the Ebbon Group, parent company of Licence Check, to discuss setting up a fleet consultancy within the business.
“It was then that I was first made aware of Terry’s impending retirement plans and I was given the opportunity to take over the reins at Licence Check,” said Allen.
“This is a hugely exciting opportunity. With our award-winning DAVIS (Driver and Vehicle Information Solution) platform, we have a superb system for identifying and managing driver risk, which has grown substantially under Terry’s excellent stewardship.”
The plan is to expand and develop the portal to increase its convenience and accessibility for the firm’s rapidly growing customer base via a range of expanded services.
“Within DAVIS, we also have our Fleet File module which currently provides users with a database for primarily managing vehicle compliance and document management.
“With the current age of digitisation, electrification and sustainability and the need to cut through mountains of data, we plan to grow and develop our fleet management services and take them to the next level via Fleet File, through which we also intend to provide our customers with access to a new, independent and strategic fleet consultancy service,” Allen said.
Terry Hiles, who has been with Licence Check for seven years, the last three as general manager, said the recruitment of Allen was an excellent move for the business and would enable it to take advantage of his expertise and vast experience.
He added: “My new role will be a more strategic one, working across Licence Check and the recently acquired DriverCheck business to start developing a more cohesive proposition, and building on the strengths of both to further develop our knowledge base.
“I will also be looking at the development of new products and services across all parts of the business, as well as continuing as our representative within our industry trade body, the Association for Driving Licence Verification (ADLV), as I move towards my retirement,” he added.
Robert Pilkington and Craig Gibbin, joint CEOs at the Ebbon Group, welcomed Keith Allen to the business and paid tribute to the work of Terry Hiles and his team.
“Keith’s huge experience within the fleet industry will be fundamental in us developing our fleet compliance capability and helping us strengthen our position as the leading fleet compliance business in the market,” said Robert Pilkington.
“Terry and his senior management team have done an outstanding job with the performance of Licence Check, taking it from number four in the market to vying for the number one position,” said Craig Gibbin. “We look forward to him adding value to the business for years to come in a part-time strategic and advisory role,” he outlined.
