Frontline Leasing restructures brand around Carmmunity IT portal

THE Derbyshire based Ford terms holder, Frontline Leasing and Fleet Management Ltd, is realigning its brand.

Initially Frontline Leasing and Fleet Management was set up to serve the ‘Frontline’, such as the police and ambulance services. The company relaunched around Carmmunity, its online portal, and provided Ford products into the contract hire market.

However, it is now restructured to clearly define the business and to promote the company’s digital offering under two separate company entities: Frontline Leasing and Fleet Management Ltd; and Frontline Associates Ltd.

Frontline Leasing and Fleet Management is dedicated only to Ford products, while emphasising ‘Carmmunity’ – its digital IT portal for brokers – and using the ‘powered by Carmmunity’ tagline.

But it’s not only Ford. Under the Frontline Associates banner, there are 12 further OEMs represented as the business has stepped up its game and added more brands that brokers can access through Carmmunity.

These include:

• Stellantis brands: Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Jeep, Citroen, DS and Peugeot
• Renault
• BMW
• Mercedes-Benz Commercials

We’ve really invested in the Carmmunity portal to make it as easy as possible for brokers to use. All brokers need to do is concentrate on selling, and let the portal take care of the rest. But to have a viable offering you need more OEMs on board. Don’t get me wrong – Ford is still our main focus and hence we have strengthened that team – but it does highlight our IT skillset.

Hamel Patel, sales and marketing director, Frontline Leasing and Fleet Management

Investment in new staff

In addition to the structural changes, Patel says that exceptionally good Q1 performance has necessitated an investment in new staff. These include:

Marisa Fravolini

A new position, Fravolini joins as operations director following 30 years with Pendragon Vehicle Management as customer services director, so providing customer satisfaction is top of her agenda.

Vanessa Hunt

Hunt joins as regional account manager with 20 years’ experience in the finance and leasing market. Well-known to many brokers, Hunt’s last role was with Ringways Hire & Leasing. The new role is to further enhance and strengthen the Ford sales team and to provide a more personal touch by engaging and visiting broker partners in a field based role.

Anna Ford 

Ford has been appointed as corporate relationship manager – another new position within Frontline, and brings a wealth of experience from her time within the PSA Group, most recently with Free2Move.

Apprentices

Finally there are two new apprentices, Harmony Sulley and Alicia Grice.