Jean-Marc Torre, chief executive of Swindon-based vehicle leasing group Arval UK, is to leave the business after five years to join Bank of the West, a sister business to Arval within the European banking giant BNP Paribas.
Mr Torre will be replaced by Bart Beckers, who has strong experience in operational leasing having spent the past 15 years with LeasePlan.
Most recently Mr Beckers was chairman of the LeasePlan companies in France where he turned around the business in 2005/06 and prepared it for renewed profitable growth. This was followed by the acquisition of the French multi-brand leasing subsidiary of the Daimler group.
Under Mr Torre’s stewardship Arval has gone through a period of sustained growth, increasing its fleet size and strengthening its product offer despite challenging market conditions. This has cemented Arval as one of the UK’s top leasing companies and the leading fuel card provider.
Mr Torre said: “I feel that I am leaving the business in a strong position. During my time here I have been very proud of our achievements and last year’s business results were testament to the effectiveness and stability of our company and the spirit and strength of our employees. Bart is an extremely capable replacement and I am sure he will deliver continued success to Arval in the UK.”
The handover takes place at the end of February.
