"I am truly humbled and honored to be standing here tonight," said Sharon Etherington in response to the news she had been selected as the 2024 Edward J. Bobit Professional Fleet Manager of the Year.

Etherington added, "This recognition means so much to me, and it's a testament to the incredible support and collaboration I've received from all of you."

Senior Manager of Regional Administrative Services at Roche Diagnostics, Etherington was presented with the award at the recent Automotive Fleet & Leasing Association (AFLA) corporate fleet conference in San Antonio on Sept. 16.

The annual award, sponsored by Wheels and AFLA, recognizes a "proficient fleet manager who has demonstrated special business acumen in developing and executing key management policies in all areas."

"[The FMC] group has been instrumental in my growth. Their support has included challenging discussions, thought-provoking ideas, and constructive debates, which are essential for addressing tough issues and ensuring that safety and all operational standards are upheld," Etherington said.

"When I reflect on my journey to this point, I realize that it has been deeply enriched by the wisdom and guidance shared by those in this room," she added.

Although Etherginton had not formally met everyone at the ceremony, she shared how insights during panels, round tables, and casual discussions had greatly influenced her. She explained that these interactions — over dinner, during cocktail hours, or on conference calls — had provided invaluable guidance, helping shape her strategies and deepen her understanding of complex fleet topics.

Etherington is the 40th award recipient since the first Fleet Manager of the Year was named in 1985. In previous years, Etherington has received the 2019 Fleet Visionary of the Year Award, the 2020 AALA Fleet Safety Award, and was honored with the 2022 AFLA President's Award.

Where It All Began

Etherington has been identified as an innovative and decisive manager at Roche, where she has worked for over 15 years.

"Interestingly, my story with fleet management began in a different role at Roche," Etherington said. She started in procurement, where she negotiated and updated the Fleet Management Company's agreement. A person who sat across from her in those negotiations would become her key account manager in fleet.

"When I first stepped into this role with zero formal fleet training, he was the one who introduced me to AFLA and NAFA. He guided me with patience, offered support during challenging times, remained calm during moments of panic, and provided unwavering professionalism. A big thank you goes out to Scott Ediden of Wheels," Etherington said.

Ahead of Electrification Adoption

Etherington's leadership has dramatically advanced Roche's fleet, especially in electrification, safety, and driver engagement.

In 2005, Roche added a handful of hybrids to their fleet. Etherington, however, only took up the challenge of further fleet transformation in 2016 when the company challenged her with an ambitious fuel economy goal.

She took on the challenge and moved forward with exhaustive research, including expanding to more hybrids. While the advantages of fuel economy and sustainability were well known, she decided to go with the hybrids.  

The number of Plug-in Electric Hybrids (PHEVs) and Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) added to the Roche fleet has progressively increased each year, with 2017 being the last year the company made a significant acquisition of gas, diesel, or flex-fuel vehicles.

Following Etherington's decisive plan on hybrids, Roche's ICE vehicle inventory had decreased to 40% by 2019, marking a substantial shift toward electrification in just two years.

In the long term, Etherington has set a goal for Roche Diagnostics to achieve a fully electric fleet by 2030. Currently, the fleet consists of 78.66% hybrid vehicles and 18.98% PHEV/BEV, marking significant progress toward this goal.

Etherington's efforts towards a fleet electrification initiative also supports Roche's organization-wide goal of being carbon neutral by 2050 while keeping an eye on cost containment.

In 2023, the fleet's mpg increased 3.3% to 37.9MPG. In 2024, the fleet's mpg increased by 7% to 40.59 mpg.  

Fostering Sustainability With Change Management

Transitions can be difficult, especially with EV adoption. Considering this, Etherington created a well-planned change management program for drivers since they spend most of their time in their work vehicles.

Etherington's program began assessing driver readiness by identifying drivers who would most successfully move to EVs and PHEVs. She followed up with vehicle training, acknowledgment of updated company policies, and driver experience surveys.

Instead of putting the drivers into the vehicles and hoping for the best, Etherington kept an eye on fleet and driver data, using gamification to encourage better behaviors. 

Etherington prioritizes driver satisfaction by offering customization options and fostering open communication, resulting in an 88% driver happiness rate. She promotes continuous improvement through initiatives like innovation days, monthly BEV/PHEV office hours, encouraging feedback, and sharing knowledge on electrification.

Even when relying heavily on gas was an issue with some PHEV drivers, Etherington started tracking each vehicle's mileage and posting it. Due to positive recognition, the fleet drivers became competitive over mileage numbers and began to rely more on the electric capabilities of their vehicles.

In 2023, Roche benefited from a total savings of $2,592,200, comprised of $607,200 in hard dollar savings and $1,985,000 in cost avoidance savings. This was accomplished through working with OEMs for incentives, contractual rebates, and time saved by directing drivers to mobile app usage.

Empowering Drivers Through Advanced Safety Initiatives

Looking out for your drivers goes beyond providing vehicles they are proud to be seen in. Establishing programs that help bring each driver home safely every night is essential.

Expanding on Roche's safety program, Etherington worked towards making it more comprehensive. Starting in 2020, she added continuous Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) monitoring, various training programs, proactive lessons for all drivers regardless of risk level, and behind-the-wheel training.

In 2024, Etherington launched a peer-to-peer comparison program and executed Roche's first campus driver training program. She also implemented a driver remediation program for severe-risk drivers to refine her comprehensive safety strategy.

The safety program results meet Etherington's goal of reducing crashes per million miles (CPMM) by 10% by 2025 (based on 2020 baseline). In 2023, the accident rate was down 10.8% from 2022 (2022 was down 9.8% from 2021), with preventable accidents down 22.9% year-over-year.  

A Journey Shaped by Mentorship and Support

Etherington is highly regarded in the fleet community as someone always willing to share what she has learned. She happily participates in industry events, often serving on panels for NAFA, AFLA, and Fleet Forward, and her support has been widely recognized.

"To everyone who has been part of this journey, whether you knew it or not, thank you. Your mentorship and support have shaped my career and made this achievement possible," Etherington concluded. "I am deeply grateful and look forward to continuing to learn from and collaborate with all of you. Thank you once again for this incredible honor."

Etherington's impressive strides in electrification and sustainability have worked in tandem with her focus on risk and safety. Never completely satisfied, she will always go back and look for further improvement in all aspects of her fleet — and find it.

More Awards News

2024 Hall of Fame inductees:

• Theresa Belding

• Matthew Betz

• Bill Gibson

Additionally, check out details on the 2024 Fleet Visionary Award winner.