The British Vehicle And Leasing Association (BVRLA) has appointed a new chair.

Jon Lawes takes leadership of the trade body for businesses engaged in vehicle rental, leasing, and fleet management in the UK.

Jon is managing director of Novuna Vehicle Solutions - the trading style of Mitsubishi HC Capital in the UK - and brings with him a vast wealth of experience in the fleet and leasing industry. He has served on the BVRLA’s Committee of Management since 2015 and was appointed vice chair in April last year.

Lawes takes over from Nina Bell, managing director of car rental firm Avis, who has been chair for an extended period of three years as she helped steer the association through the issues of the pandemic

“I’m delighted and honored to be appointed, especially as we are going through some challenging, yet exciting times in the automotive industry," Lawes said. "I’m passionate about accelerating the transition to alternative fuels, solving society’s challenge to decarbonize and overcome barriers to electrification, the biggest of which being confidence in our UK charging infrastructure.

”I’ve learnt a great deal from my time on the Committee of Management as vice chair and look forward to continuing to deliver key initiatives such as the Plug in Pledge to operate 1.3m plug-in vehicles by 2025. To achieve this, we need the continued backing and support from the Government and Department for Transport to ensure businesses and communities can transition with confidence.”

Lakshmi Moorthy, Managing Director of leasing company Arval, has been named as the association’s new Vice Chair.

BVRLA chief executive, Gerry Keaney, added: “We are pleased to welcome Jon into this role and are excited to see what the BVRLA will achieve under his leadership. With a wealth of experience to draw on, supported by his close involvement with the association and the industry’s transition to net zero, Jon will undoubtedly oversee some significant milestones in the coming years.”