Mazda UK has appointed Terry Swanton as national corporate sales manager and recruited an additional contract hire manager, fleet co-ordinator and fleet operations manager to cope with increased fleet demand.

Mr Swanton (pictured), who took up his post on 1 July, has been employed by Mazda for eight years and for the past two years has been regional business manager. Prior to joining Mazda he spent two years as after sales director at a Honda dealership and a decade with Honda UK. He will manage the current team of corporate sales managers as well as forge closer relationships with Mazda's Fleet Specialist Dealer network helping them to target companies in their local areas in pursuit of increased business.

Mr Swanton said: “We want to more closely integrate the head office fleet team with our specialist dealers to leverage more business. Additionally, a larger team of corporate regional sales managers will enable Mazda to further improve relationships with existing customers and develop new business opportunities.

“We are encouraging our dealers to ‘woo’ their local businesses to sample the Mazda experience. Once companies have done that we believe dealers will also handle vehicle service, maintenance and repair and ultimately replacement models. It is all about providing dealers with new business opportunities and additional revenue streams. We want to focus dealers on end-user business and encourage them to work as locally as possible.

“By defining the fleet opportunity offered by Mazda to more dealers we can help them increase showroom traffic. That will then, naturally, result in more workshop and aftersales opportunities.”

Newly appointed Mazda fleet co-ordinator is Richard Whittam, who is the administrative and information-providing interface between the regional corporate sales managers, Mazda dealers and contract hire companies.