The company said the deal ‘will enhance FMG’s ability to develop its innovative offering to new and existing customers, adding additional ideas to support the company’s development’. 

Chief executive John Catling said: ‘We’ve admired what Andrew has achieved in the industry, his knowledge and experience of fleet, is undoubtedly going to be a great asset to FMG. His arrival is good news for us, our partners and especially our existing and future customers. This move will further strengthen our position and reputation as leaders in incident management and business mobility.’

Andrew Cope commented: ‘FMG is a great business focused on its reputation for innovation and quality; I look forward to being involved with a company and people that I’ve respected for many years. The business has a forward thinking attitude, embracing new technology, which has huge positive implications for our customers and prospects. By building on the good work which has been done to establish FMG as a leader in the industry, I’m excited to have the chance to help grow the business further.’

Nick Brown, who will be taking up a non-executive position, and maintaining a significant presence in the business, said: ‘We’re all welcoming Andrew to the FMG team, and look forward to working with him in the future. I’ve known Andrew for many years. He is a very widely respected figure in our industry, and his insight will add another dimension to FMG’s unique offering. By joining the board, he will offer the business further opportunities to build on our already considerable successes.’

By acquiring a stake in FMG, Cope continues to have an operational interest in the fleet industry that started with the formation of Zenith, in Leeds, in 1989, a business that was recently acquired by HgCapital.

A major fleet optimisation and incident management provider, FMG is headquartered in Huddersfield and employs 300 people. The company had a turnover of £85m in 2012 and holds major contracts with the Highways Agency, Asda, and a number of police forces as well as major insurers.