The Fleet landscape in LatAm buoyed by new opportunities
The 2023 Fleet Latam conference, which culminated on Tuesday (26th September) with a gala dinner and awards ceremony held on Monday, heralded interesting insights into fleet management and the leasing landscape in the Latam region.
The conference was attended by over 250 key fleet decision-makers, including a record number of women in fleet, who attended Fleet Latam’s inaugural IWIF (Inspiring Women in Fleet) to launch the initiative in the region. Discussions and conference sessions centred on winning strategies for safety and sustainability in fleet management.
Sr. Álvaro Madrigal Montes de Oca, General Director for coordination of public transport companies in Mexico City delivered a keynote address about plans for strategic mobility to solve the transport problems. He called for a joint effort from OEMs, governments and city transport planners. Initiatives include legislating for better in-vehicle safety equipment, such as three-point seat belts, airbags and accident prevention systems on roads. Mexico currently ranks 7th worst in the world regarding road safety records, with 12.4 fatalities per 100,000 inhabitants. This is slightly better than Russia (12.5) and is on par with the United States (12.4).
Mergers and acquisitions deliver opportunity
Unsurprisingly, the merger between LeasePlan and ALD took center stage in many discussions, with delegates wanting clarity on its effect on the leasing landscape. That said, representatives from Latam’s other leasing providers, like Element Arval and Localiza & Co, had plenty to cover about their own plans for staying competitive in the increasingly monopolised market. Element’s development director Ricardo de Bolle and VP of Sales Tony Alonso declared confidence in the merger, saying it would, in fact, create new opportunities for market players.
The much-anticipated awards ceremony honoured three industry leaders, including Fleet LatAm Manager of the Year, Fleet LatAm Safety Manager of the Year and the Fleet LatAm Connected Manager of the Year. There were also three awards for cars, EVs and LCVs.
