Multiple companies and brands have recently announced personnel changes in the commercial fleet world. Automotive Fleet has a roundup of these new hires and promotions, including:

• Shane Westra Joins Cardata as Chief Product and Technology Officer

• Tyson & Mendes Promotes Cayce Lynch to National Managing Partner

• Stephen Latin-Kasper Establishes Coherent Market Planning and Forecasting

• Kirk Browning Elected to Board of Directors of the National Vehicle Leasing Association

Shane Westra Joins Cardata as Chief Product and Technology Officer

Cardata recently announced that Shane Westra will join the company as chief product and technology officer (CPTO).

With a 25-year product and technology career in Salt Lake City and San Francisco and an MBA from Brigham Young University, Westra brings a wealth of experience to Cardata. During his career, Westra has helped companies improve their valuation by an average of 10x.

Westra comes from Canopy, where he served MidMarket and SMB customers as chief product officer. Also, before joining Cardata, Westra partnered with the majority of the Fortune 100 through his work at nCino (SimpleNexus), Bynder (Webdam/Shutterstock), Adobe (Workfront), LexisNexis, and Pearson.

Westra’s SaaS products have always centered on the customer, helping teams across finance, operations, accounting, and many more drive the change they want to see in their company.

“Shane will lead the product and engineering teams as we perfect the flagship products that our tens of thousands of users already love and build new tools to help companies manage their mobile teams,” Haywood Marsh, CEO of Cardata, said. “Shane has a successful track record of leading product and engineering teams for high-growth SaaS companies. We couldn’t be happier to welcome Shane to Cardata.”

“I’m excited to execute and iterate on Cardata’s product roadmap, prioritizing growth through exciting new products and market-leading reliability through engineering excellence,” Westra said.

“Cardata’s products serve an urgent need for today’s company with employee drivers, and our vision for product expansion is both ambitious and attainable. This is an exciting time for Cardata, and I can’t wait to join the existing excellent team,” Westra concluded.

Tyson & Mendes Promotes Cayce Lynch to National Managing Partner

Tyson & Mendes, an insurance defense and civil litigation firm, recently announced the elevation of Cayce Lynch to national managing partner.

Lynch’s promotion is a landmark moment for Tyson & Mendes and the industry. According to recent surveys, only 12% of law firm managing partners are women. Also, at under 40, Lynch is among the youngest law firm executives.

Lynch, who spoke at the recent Fleet Safety Conference, has championed firmwide initiatives to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion, including founding the Women’s Initiative, which promotes the professional advancement of female attorneys and broadly serves the insurance defense.

“I am honored to serve as the firm’s National Managing Partner, and look forward to continued growth and excellence alongside Bob, Pat, and all the incredible people who make our firm the premiere insurance defense firm in America,” Lynch said. “At Tyson & Mendes, we are committed to creating an environment where diverse voices are not only heard but amplified, and I’m excited to continue building that legacy.”

Lynch’s advancement is the most recent in many moves to advance female leaders within the firm. Earlier this year, Law360 ranked Tyson & Mendes second out of similar-sized firms for female representation among equity partners, with 50% of the equity partners being women.

Tyson & Mendes has opened its last nine offices with women at the helm, and 50% of its regional managing partners are women.

From Administrative Partner to Executive

Previously serving as the firm’s administrative partner, her new role formalizes and contextualizes her responsibilities over the past eight years, including overseeing critical strategic operations, driving a culture of transparency and inclusion, and leading the firm through unprecedented growth.

“This promotion is not just about Cayce’s past accomplishments — it’s about our future as a firm and an industry,” Founding Partner Robert Tyson said. “Cayce’s vision, guidance, and inspirational leadership have proven critical to our growth and continued success. Her promotion to national managing partner ensures Tyson & Mendes will remain an industry leader, focused on delivering excellence for our clients, developing our talent, fostering diversity, and leading the way in insurance defense.”

Lynch’s promotion also aligns with Tyson & Mendes’ commitment to advancing diversity in leadership, underscored by the firm’s recent Mansfield Certification, which measures and improves the representation of historically underrepresented lawyers in leadership roles through a data-driven process administered by Diversity Lab.

Tyson & Mendes has pledged to recertify for 2024-25 to redefine leadership across the legal industry through transparency, introspection, and accountability.

“We are not only committed to our clients and our legacy but also to the people who make this firm great,” Founding Partner Patrick Mendes said. “In her over twelve years with the firm, Cayce has continually delivered excellence, internally and externally. Put simply: Cayce’s integrity and leadership exemplify the values that will ensure our firm continues to thrive for years to come.”

Throughout her tenure as an administrative partner, Lynch has implemented measures to ensure the firm’s attorneys and employees are well-supported as they build their careers and serve clients.

Stephen Latin-Kasper Establishes Coherent Market Planning and Forecasting

Stephen Latin-Kasper founded a new market research company called Coherent Market Planning and Forecasting, LLC (CMPF) on January 1, 2025.

Latin-Kasper was an economist for the work truck and fluid power industries for years, including working with NTEA – The Work Truck Association for 25 years. He is currently a member of the Bloomberg and NABE forecast panels and was a member of the Department of Commerce Industrial Trade Advisory Committee for Capital Equipment for 30 years.

CMPF will be focused on providing market research and planning services, such as custom forecast modeling, for manufacturers of capital equipment and truck and off-highway vehicle fleets.

Industry reports are expected to be available on the company’s website by the second quarter of 2025. The same services can be provided to trade associations.

Latin-Kasper offers to deliver macroeconomic and industry/market forecast presentations at association and other organizations’ events.

Kirk Browning Elected to Board of Directors of the National Vehicle Leasing Association

The National Vehicle Leasing Association (NVLA) recently announced that NVLA members elected Kirk Browning as director-at-large on the Board of Directors. Browning began serving his two-year term on January 1, 2025.

Browning is the president of 1st Source Bank’s Auto, Truck, and Specialty Vehicle Fleet Divisions and brings 40 years of commercial and retail lending experience in the automotive, agricultural, and construction equipment sectors to the role.

Before joining 1st Source Bank in February 2017, he held credit and sales management positions at Ford Motor Credit Co., Ford New Holland Credit Co., Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group, and the Hertz Corporation.

He has extensive executive experience in credit, leasing, rental, and fleet management and is a Certified Lease and Finance Professional (C.L.F.P.).

“I am truly honored to be selected to the board of NVLA,” Browning said. “This organization continues to be a driving force in shaping the future of the leasing industry; I am excited to work with this esteemed board and contribute to its success. Together, we will work to innovate, advocate, and build an even stronger foundation for our existing and future members.”