Each year Automotive Fleet magazine recognizes a fleet manager for his or her skills, achievements, unique approaches to fleet management, and contributions to the fleet industry. The nominees for the 2012 Fleet Manager of the Year award are listed below, along with descriptions of each individual's current role and achievements. The 2012 Fleet Manager of the Year Award is sponsored by Wheels Inc., AFLA, and Automotive Fleet magazine.

2012 Fleet Manager of the Year Nominees

  • Tom Armstrong, ThyssenKrupp Elevator Americas
  • Donna Bibbo, CAFM, CCTE, Novo Nordisk Inc.
  • Chuck Bunting, NiSource Inc.
  • John Dmochowsky, CAFM, Kraft Foods Inc.
  • Jeff Hurrell, CAFM, Hewlettt Packard Co.
  • Ron Kimbell, Rollins Inc.
  • Dick Malcom, State Farm Mutual Auto Insurance Co.
  • Patrick McGrath, United Technologies Corp.
  • Steve McLain, Cummins-Allison
  • Lee Miller, Boehringer Ingelheim
  • Jason Pucely, Best Buy Stores, L.P.
  • Bud Reuter, Comcast Corp.
  • Keith Scolan, Illinois Toolworks
  • Leonard Scolaro, Henry Schein
  • Rachael Smith, The Scooter Store
  • Gage Wagoner, Philips Electronics NA

2012 Fleet Manager of the Year Nominee Bios

Tom Armstrong

ThyssenKrupp Elevator Americas, Director of Fleet

  • Total vehicles: 3,200
  • Staff supervised: 1
  • Years with current fleet: 11
  • Total years in industry: 20
  • Replacement policy: 5-6 years

Memberships: LeasePlan USA Client Advisory Board; Fleet Response Advisory Board; Ford Fleet Advisory Board (past member); Clean Cities; and National Clean Fleets Partnership.

Primary responsibilities: Total fleet responsibility, including acquisition, liquidation, leasing, maintenance, fuel, risk, safety, DOT compliance, fleet policy, and fleet sustainability.

Notable achievements: Achieved 2011 total operating cost annual savings of $250,000 for more than 500 vehicles by right-sizing applications; reduced costs by $1.125 million in annual fuel spend by moving to fuel-efficient four-cylinder vehicles; and saved an additional $2 million through process improvements and partnership with leasing provider. Cost-savings initiatives also extended to risk and accident management. Armstrong led the effort to increase returns on subrogation by 25 percent, lowered average per-vehicle repair cost by 10 percent, and reduced average number of days to repair by 15 percent. Sustainability efforts included incorporating propane-autogas and electric vehicles into fleet. Through this process, he created the "Five Cs" of analyzing alternative fuels and alt-fuel vehicles to determine the right direction for fleet, which led to his involvement in sustainability in the industry including Clean Cities meetings, presenting his expertise at the Green Fleet Conferences, and being featured on the 21st Century Business media event.

Donna Bibbo, CAFM, CCTE

Novo Nordisk Inc., Manager, Fleet & Travel

  • Total vehicles: 2,972
  • Staff supervised: 1
  • Years with current fleet: 5½
  • Total years in industry: 22
  • Replacement policy: 36 months/70,000 miles

Memberships/certifications: NAFA (CAFM; New Jersey Chapter treasurer for more than nine years and current chapter chair; chair of new Safety Advisory Council and member of 2012 I&E Curriculum Committee; and past chair of Audit and FleetEd Committees); AFLA (10-plus years as member, current secretary, and past director-at-large and vice chair of the Education Committee); client advisory board member for Wheels, Fleet Response, and World Travel Inc.; and Certified Corporate Travel Executive (CCTE).

Primary responsibilities: Make the employee experience as best as possible as it pertains to company vehicles/driving and travel while keeping in mind fiduciary responsibility to the company and its commitment to the environment; and constantly seek out value-added services for drivers to allow them to stay productive and safe while maintaining their vehicles.

Notable achievements: Reduced maintenance costs by 12 percent and depreciation costs by 2 percent over 2010, CO2 emissions by 4 percent per mile over 2010, and preventable accidents per million miles down 2.4 percent over 2010.

John Dmochowsky, CAFM

Kraft Foods Inc., Sales Fleet Manager

  • Total vehicles: 4,700
  • Staff supervised: 1
  • Years with current fleet: 11
  • Total years in industry: 11
  • Replacement policy: 36 months/60,000 miles

Memberships/certifications: NAFA (Chicago Chapter chair, I&E Curriculum Committee member, Education Development member, FMS training instructor, and CAFM certification); AFLA (vice president, chair for Business Development Committee, Conference Committee member); Ford Fleet Advisory Board; and GE Capital Fleet Services Client Advisory Board.

Primary responsibilities: Overall management of U.S. sales fleet program, including fleet policy administration, strategic partner relationships, management, budgeting, vehicle acquisition and disposal, driver safety, auditing, reducing GHG emissions and carbon footprint, fuel management, and repair-maintenance cost-saving initiatives.

Notable achievements: Multimillion dollar savings as a result of accelerated vehicle replacement initiative; reduced total CO2 emissions by 5 percent by replacing 2,500 vehicles with four-cylinder engine Ford Fusions; and reduced preventable accidents by 10 percent.  

Dick Malcom

State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co., Fleet Administrator

  • Total vehicles: 12,341
  • Staff supervised: 0
  • Years with current fleet: 11
  • Total years in industry: 29
  • Replacement policy: 85,000 miles

Memberships/certifications: AFLA (board member); and GM Commercial Sounding Board.

Primary responsibilities: Manage and monitor vehicle expenses, including fuel, maintenance, and depreciation; choose safe, reliable, cost-efficient, and comfortable vehicles for selector list; and provide departments with sufficient information to help them make sound business decisions.

Notable achievements: Implemented new driver policy and internal charge-back system to increase accountability and compliance; 75 percent of all new vehicle orders SmartWay-certified; implemented new accident review committee; and replaced company vehicle management software system.

Chuck Bunting

NiSource, Inc., Fleet Administrative Manager

  • Total vehicles: 6,226
  • Staff supervised: 0
  • Years with current fleet: 16
  • Total years in industry: 16
  • Replacement policy: Varies based on equipment (minimum 84 months/100,000 miles; maximum 144 months/300,000 miles)

Memberships: NAFA Local Tri-State Chapter; AGA/ANGA NGV Committee; EUFMC; ARI Customer Technology Advancement Group; Utility Fleet Manager Forum.

Primary responsibilities: Lead and develop a strong fleet team to provide customers units as and when needed; administer and advance fleet core policies, processes, and systems of acquisition through disposal; and oversee and develop OEM and body upfitter relationships, production, and post-delivery service programs.

Notable achievements:
Saved more than $3.1 million; added 100-plus hybrids over past two years and piloted a hybrid heavy-duty aerial device; replaced three asset and cost management programs with one new fleet management system; and implemented new replacement/order system.

Ron Kimbell

Rollins Inc., Fleet Manager

  • Total vehicles: 7,900
  • Staff supervised: 2
  • Years with current fleet: 6
  • Total years in industry: 6Replacement policy: 36 months/80,000 miles (management vehicles); 48 months/90,000 miles (service vehicles)

Primary responsibilities: Manage the ordering, delivery, replacement, and retirement of vehicles; and ensure all fleet data is captured and processed accurately.

Notable achievements: Celebrated 40 years with Rollins; reduced costs by moving to closed-end leases and utilizing upfitters; transitioned to four-cylinder engines; assisted in transition and implementation of fleet management company; transitioned to higher level platform with fuel-card provider.

Lee Miller

Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Senior Manager, Fleet Services

  • Total vehicles: 3,800
  • Staff supervised: 2
  • Years with current fleet: 32
  • Total years in industry: 32
  • Replacement policy: 36 months/75,000 miles

Memberships: NAFA (23 years, holding several positions: chapter chair, vice chair, and secretary); AFLA (Commercial Sounding Board member, Conference Committee member, and past secretary); Wheels Steering Council; and Fleet Response Advisory Board.

Primary responsibilities:
Manages leased vehicles for all operating units in the U.S. and Puerto Rico with budget exceeding $70 million; vendor management and negotiation, content expert for senior leadership, policy implementation and administration, asset management, and driver risk assessment; manage and execute executive fleet program; continually review and analyze auto industry and current trends to determine financial impact on corporation and implement cost savings/avoidance process improvements when appropriate.

Notable achievements: Exceeded $6.5 million in cost-savings initiatives over past three years; reduced CO2 emissions over past three years; served as lead organizer and facilitator of fleet safety committee meetings since 2006; and successfully deployed 700 additional vehicles over last 12 months.

Steve McLain

Cummins-Allison, Manager of Operations Accounting

  • Total vehicles: 441
  • Staff supervised: 1
  • Years with current fleet: 15
  • Total years in industry: 15
  • Replacement policy: 40 months/115,000 miles

Primary responsibilities: Monitor and maintain fleet of 440 cars and trucks, manage all cost accounting, and manage all inventory accounting for home office and 43 physical and audit branches.

Notable achievements: Downsized from six- to four-cylinder engine vehicles, resulting in an average annual 100-gallon per-vehicle reduction in fuel consumption and emissions since 2008; and initiated companywide mandatory safety program for all drivers.

[PAGEBREAK]Patrick McGrath

United Technologies Corp. (UTC), Global Fleet Commodity Manager

  • Total vehicles: 10,116
  • Staff supervised: 11
  • Years with current fleet: 4
  • Total years in industry: 4
  • Replacement policy: 80,000 miles (cars)/120,000 miles (trucks)

Memberships/certifications: UTC ACE Lean Operating System certification; and NAFA (former member).

Primary responsibilities: Oversee and continuously improve North American fleet efficiency, including coordination and direction of nine different companies with unique fleet needs, challenges, and vehicles.

Notable achievements: Saved nearly $7 million over 14-month period through rightsizing vehicles and reconfiguring vehicle selector specs, streamlining maintenance requirement parameters, and reducing maintenance costs; increased mpg by 8 percent and cut CO2 output by 8,000 tons in one year; reduced speeding by 90 percent, at-fault accidents by 44 percent, and total accidents by 20 percent for vehicles equipped with telematics; and managed the transition of entire fleet from one fleet management company to another in 30 days. 

Milton ‘Bud’ Reuter III

Comcast Corp., Director, Procurement and Fleet

  • Total vehicles: 37,575
  • Staff supervised: 0
  • Years with current fleet: 14
  • Total years in industry: 16
  • Replacement policy: 84 months/140,000 miles

Memberships: Ford Fleet Advisory Board

Primary responsibilities: Manage a capital budget of $80 million and expense budget of $200 million encompassing all aspects of fleet operation; move all fleet-related billing and invoicing to electronic payment; and assume additional responsibilities within procurement function.

Notable achievements: Reduced vehicle maintenance costs by 8 percent ($4 million); increased percentage of alternative-fuel vehicles by 8 percent; provided new emergency lighting for better road visibility; and introduced a new van interior to enhance employee satisfaction and increase productivity.

Jason Pucely

Best Buy Stores, L.P., Senior Manager of Transportation & Logistics

  • Total vehicles: 4,890
  • Staff supervised: 6
  • Years with current fleet: 6
  • Total years in industry: 6
  • Replacement policy: 48 months/65,000 miles (sedans); 60 months/95,000 miles (vans and trucks)

Memberships: NAFA; Ford Advisory Board; and Wheels Advisory Board.

Primary responsibilities: Strategically lead fleet procurement and lifecycle management of all owned and leased vehicle assets including brand development, management, and quality assurance for all vehicle-related branding; contract and manage third-party relationships with fleet and OEM providers; and responsible for management and compliance of all DOT regulations.

Notable achievements: Increased average vehicle mpg by 23 percent through pilot telematics program; reduced carbon emissions 8 percent from 2010 by replacing full-size cargo vans with smaller vehicles and decreasing engine sizes in larger vehicles; reduced four-year accident rate from 34 percent to 21 percent through MVR best practice and driver safety training; and partnered with FMC to develop toll management program to reduce internal administration and violations.

Rachael Smith

The Scooter Store, Fleet Manager

  • Total vehicles: 533
  • Staff supervised: 0
  • Years with current fleet: 1
  • Total years in industry: 12
  • Replacement policy: 135,000 miles

Primary responsibilities: Combing fleet data with analytics from the operation department to identify innovative solutions to reduce fleet operational cost per mile; balancing fleet assets to driver population weekly to minimize fixed fleet expenses; continuously marketing the fleet against the wholesale market to identify opportunities for financial gain.

Notable achievements: Recognized by Runzheimer International for best practices in vehicle management during 2011; reduced operational expenses by $633,000 and increased vehicle proceeds in excess of $400,000 through aggressive short cycling; reduced fuel consumption 35 percent through integration of Ford Transit Connect; and collaboratively achieved an accident rate 10 points lower than the average industry standard.

Leonard Scolaro

Henry Schein, Manager, Field Operations Support

  • Total vehicles: 620
  • Staff supervised: 4
  • Years with current fleet: 5
  • Total years in industry: 5
  • Replacement policy: 90,000 miles

Memberships: GE Capital Fleet Services Client Advisory Board
(Technology).

Primary responsibilities: Minimize expense while maximizing driver uptime (through purchase negotiation with motor companies, fleet policy and management, leasing company negotiation and management); increase productivity and customer satisfaction (by marrying telematics and service system reporting and working with field management); and vehicle selection (reviewing available products and upfitting choices to ensure most fuel- and cost-efficient vehicles based on organizational needs).

Notable achievements: Implemented telematics system on national scale, which reduced off-hours usage by 70 percent and lowered greenhouse gas emissions; minimized rental expense through daily maintenance rental tracking and management; and maximized off-invoice incentives and eliminated tiered incentives by using multiyear single-provider purchase agreement.

Keith Scolan

Illinois ToolWorks, Manager, Global Fleet

  • Total vehicles: 11,000-plus (global); 3,800 (U.S.)
  • Staff supervised: 1
  • Years with current fleet: 10
  • Total years in industry: 22
  • Replacement policy: 36 months/75,000 miles (passenger vehicles); 48 months/120,000 miles (light-duty trucks/cargo vans)

Memberships: AFLA; Donlen Client Advisory Board; and Fleet Response Client Advisory Board.

Primary responsibilities: Oversee all global fleet programs, which encompass spend of $250 million and vendor management of FMCs, fuel, tires, accident management, glass, and OEMs; develop corporate policies; educate internal stakeholders; put into effect vehicle policies; and implement new initiatives to more than 700 global business units.

Notable achievements: Achieved global savings of $12 million; decreased U.S. and Canada fuel consumption, reduced vehicle selector choices and gained acceptance from internal stakeholders on utilizing TCO approach for vehicle selection; reduced carbon emissions 24 percent and miles driven by 16 percent in the U.S., with projected annual fuel cost savings of $626,000.

Gage Wagoner

Philips Electronics NA, Senior Manager, North American Fleet Management

  • Total vehicles: 4,800
  • Staff supervised: 2
  • Years with current fleet: 11
  • Total years in industry: 13
  • Replacement policy: 3 years

Memberships: NAFA; LeasePlan USA Future Directions Client Advisory Board; and Chrysler Client Advisory Board.

Primary responsibilities:
Responsible for strategic administration of
Philips’ fleet in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico, and is part of the company’s global fleet purchasing team.

Notable achievements: Launched an internal North American fleet Web resource for drivers with access to detailed FAQs to reduce burden on staff; gained approximately $2 million annually by creating a commonized monthly personal use deduction within business units; centralized U.S. fleet management and invoice payment across all business units; achieved more than $3 million in sales revenue by short-cycling open-end leased vehicles during favorable market conditions; and reduced annual fuel spend by $1 million by transitioning to four-cylinder models.

Jeff Hurrell, CAFM

Hewlett Packard Company, North American Fleet Program Manager

  • Total vehicles: 9,500
  • Staff supervised: 3
  • Years with current fleet: 5 ½
  • Total years in industry: 15 ½
  • Replacement policy: 1-2 years (based on region); 48 months/100,000 miles (white metal)

Memberships/certifications: NAFA (past secretary for Pacific Southwest Chapter, CARB Advisory Board; and CAFM certification); GE Capital Fleet Services Client Advisory Board.

Primary responsibilities: Strategic development of North American Fleet Program (U.S. and Canada) structured within the Americas finance function, with additional internal consulting responsibilities across Latin America. Duties include fleet policy management, vendor relationship management, fleet finance, fleet safety, risk management, auditing, vendor contract negotiations, and asset management.

Notable achievements:
Reduced U.S. and Canada fleet program costs in excess of $40 million over two-year period through aggressive fleet policy and TCO management (particularly in the areas of fleet safety, vehicle rentals, accident management, vehicle utilization, eligibility, and mileage reimbursement management); and saved additional $3 million in fuel costs and cut CO2 emissions more than 16 percent through green fleet strategies, including the use of four-cylinder vehicles and right-sizing special purpose vehicles.

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