ARI has announced that Keith Allen will retire from his position as UK managing director at the end of 2019 – although he will continue in an advisory role until the end of 2021.

Keith Allen, managing director of ARI Fleet UK, will stand down at the end of the year

Allen has been in the fleet and financial markets for more than 35 years with his last seven being with ARI UK. Allen began his career with Ernst & Young, where he qualified as a chartered accountant and played an instrumental role in the management buy-out of BCH Vehicle Management (BCH), consequently becoming their finance director in 1995 – moving him into the fleet management and leasing industry.

Following the acquisition of BCH in 1999 by Deutsche Bank, Allen moved to become managing director of ALD Automotive, a position he held for 13 years where he was responsible for strategy and all operational activities. He was also instrumental in the significant growth of the business before his move to ARI in 2012.

“This has been a fantastic seven years, and I have enjoyed watching our people grow with the business. ARI truly values its employees as is evident from their culture and values and I look forward to seeing and contributing to the continued success of ARI both on a personal and professional level,” said Allen.

“We would like to congratulate Keith on a successful career and his leadership in bringing innovative fleet leasing options to our UK business,” said Bob White, president of ARI. “We have all benefited from his contributions to our organisational achievements and our company culture.

“Keith’s tenure and knowledge have been pivotal in building a strong market presence in the UK while simultaneously driving our continued investment in our people, processes, and technology,” added White. “As we look towards the future we remain 100% fleet-focused, with our customers at the heart of everything we do.”

ARI and Allen will work together to identify a successor that can continue the momentum he initiated.

“We’re excited to lay the groundwork for a bright future that delivers transparency to our customers and rewarding careers for our people,” White finished. “Our goal is to build on the strong leadership team in place in the UK and continue to invest in our solutions.”