Howkins has assumed a newly created role of fleet sales customer relationship director, with a remit to further enhancing Vauxhall’s strategic fleet relationships.  

'I am delighted to be appointed to this new role,' said Howkins. 'We pride ourselves in offering excellent customer service, which is the critical measure for all our fleet customers. I’m looking forward to continuing to raise the bar.'

Succeeding him as fleet sales director is James Taylor who moves from his current role of Vauxhall’s national fleet sales and contract hire manager. Taylor has been with Vauxhall for 11 years, joining the company as a graduate, and has held a number of positions within the company.

'This is an exciting opportunity for me to oversee Vauxhall’s fleet sales team, which comes at an important time in the company’s history,' said Taylor. 'We have the strongest product portfolio ever, including the award-winning new Meriva, new Astra and Insignia, in addition to the best selling ecoFLEX range, with a long list of new launches to look forward to, particularly our first electric car, Ampera.'

Both report directly to Duncan Aldred, Vauxhall’s managing director.