Pictured above, left to right, are Ben Faulkner (Arval), Christian Butschok-Brain, Mike Thompson (Leasing Options) and Serina Patel (Arval) being awarded Arval Broker of the Month for the second successive month
Leasing Options sees Arval double
MANCHESTER leasing broker Leasing Options has achieved back-to-back awards from funder Arval UK as its Broker of the Month, achieving position number one for production/orders in February.
The Leasing Options team received a visit from Scott Glover (Head of Broker Sales – Retail), Ben Faulkner (Sales Channel Lead – Broker) and Serina Patel (Broker Sales Manager) to present the Broker of the Month certificate.
“Recognition matters,” commented Mike Thompson, Chief Operating Officer of Leasing Options. “People work hard, standards stay high, and when excellence is delivered consistently it is important to stop and celebrate it properly. It’s another example of what can be achieved when strong partnerships, hard work and daily consistency all come together.”
Leasing Options was recently named the third largest leasing broker in the UK at the Broker News BN25 2026 event, recording 14,666 sales in 2025.
Balgores appoints Dominic Tutton as Procurement Manager
ESSEX-based leasing broker Balgores Car & Van Leasing has appointed Dominic Tutton as Procurement Manager.
Congratulations to Dominic who joins Balgores following a long career with Vanarama and latterly the rebranded Autotrader Leasing following the purchase of the van broker specialist.
“It’s been an awesome first few days meeting the team and getting settled in, and I’m very excited to get stuck in to the opportunities ahead to help with the growth of the business,” commented Dominic on his appointment
David Watkins-Smith heads up broker channel for Santander
CONGRATULATIONS to David Watkins-Smith who has been appointed the National Indirect Sales Growth Leader for Santander Consumer UK.
David replaces Ben Faulkner who recently moved over to Arval UK as Sales Channel Lead – Broker.
David, a highly experienced automotive leasing executive, joins Santander from LeasePlan where has spent more than 17 years, most recently as Account Manager.
He will be based in Milton Keynes, where he is responsible for driving new business through the company’s Indirect Leasing and D2C Contract Hire channels.
Alphabet’s Kelly Jeffery recognised as Apprenticeship Manager of the Month
Kelly Jeffery, Alphabet (GB)’s Service Management Business Development Manager, was recognised by Abingdon and Witney College as its Apprenticeship Manager of the Month for February 2026.
Kelly was nominated by the Oxfordshire education provider for going ‘above and beyond’ to support Alphabet’s Service Management Degree Apprentice, Miri Watson. “Kelly consistently provides Miri with significant opportunities to enhance her knowledge, skills, and behaviours,” said Elisa Romero, Training Coordinator for Abingdon and Witney College.
Pictured is Kelly (left) receiving her certificate from Nikki Samuels, Apprenticeship Manager – Employer Services at Abingdon & Witney College.
Used monthly electric van sales pass 1,000 for the first time
April 2026 was the strongest month ever recorded for used electric van sales in the UK, according to MarketCheck
Charging remains biggest barrier to EV adoption for fleets – Arval
Many fleets still believe there are insufficient public chargers according to the 2026 Arval Mobility Observatory Barometer
P+B in new partnership to help businesses improve their vehicle strategies
Pike+Bambridge has announced a new partnership with The CFO Centre UK, which supplies part-time Chief Financial Officers
Anxiety around EV residuals is evaporating, reports Cazana
Cazana says that consistent demand and strategic pricing have kept recent residual values robust, with EVs leading the charge
Steve Cocks receives Funder of the Year trophy from BVRLA’s Toby Poston
Steve Cocks was presented with the Lex Autolease Funder of the Year trophy at the BVRLA Committee Summit by BVRLA CEO Toby Poston
VWFS and Kwik Fit Fleet agree tyre partnership
VOLKSWAGEN Financial Services (VWFS) is partnering with Kwik Fit Fleet, which will manage the tyre requirements of the VWFS fleet
Ralph Morton is the leading journalist in the leasing broker sector and editor of Broker News, the website which provides information and news for BVRLA-registered leasing brokers. He also writes extensively on the fleet and leasing market in both the UK and Europe.
