Holman Drive23: Planning for the Future, Evolution of Fleet

“Success.” This was the theme of the 2023 Holman Drive event where procurement, finance, and transportation professionals came together in Boca Raton, Florida, for two days of fleet and mobility business learning. The event, which is in its eigth year, started with an opening evening networking reception.

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Holman will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2024. Holman Chief Executive Officer Chris Conroy discussed “The Holman Way” detailing the company’s commitment to people and plans for the future.

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Holman Chief Executive Officer Chris Conroy encouraged audience members to think beyond what’s happening in the everyday and to consider what might and will happen within the industry.

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With big trends like decarbonization and supply constraints, panelists discussed how fleet is now the focus of the C-Suite like never before. Peter Nogalo, industry relations manager, Holman, moderated the panel that consisted of Bob White, president, Holman Fleet & Mobility, Hobbs DeWitt, vice president, Supply Management, TruGreen, Jennifer Cayot, director, Strategic Sourcing, BNSF Railway, Jeremy Ferch, vice president & svp, Business Operations, Milwaukee Tool, and Peter Tunnard, regional manager, ExxonMobil. Panelists discussed how the fleet industry can drive enterprise business goals. Takeaways included being transparent and staying in front of the issue, whether good or bad.

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“Data drives utilization, utilization drives strategy,” Peter Tunnard, regional manager, ExxonMobil told the audience during the C-Suite session where Hobbs DeWitt, vice president, Supply Management, TruGreen advised leadership to “Provide consistent updates,” and Bob White, president, Holman Fleet & Mobility added “Align whatever you want to get done with the company’s goals and objectives.”

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“We have more information than we ever need right at our fingertips,” said Craig Pierce (far left), senior vice president, Sales, Holman, who moderated the session on digital transformation trends. Participating in the discussion were (L-R) Jarrod Phipps, CIO, Holman, Phil Nanus, EVP, Customer Success, Salesforce, Chad Saliba, AVP Solution Marketing, Geotab, Michael Stallone, VP Application Development, Holman.

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What can new technology do for fleets? This question was part of the discussion during a session on the latest in future-focused fleet technology. As one panelist put it “telematics is important, it’s just one piece of a bigger picture.” The discussion included moderator Bill Cariss (standing) president & CEO, Holman Growth Ventures with (L-R) Sterling Pratz, CEO, CarlQ, Jamie Solomon, EVP — Blockchain, Cario, Michelle York, chief underwriting officer, MOTER Technologies, Inc, Tony Candeloro, SVP Platform Management & Design, Holman.

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Former General Electric CEO and Chairman Jeff Immelt, who closed the conference as the keynote speaker, spoke about his start in Detroit selling plastics and advised attendees to focus on the work and worker while putting a premium on execution, transparency, and competency. “It’s never been a tougher time to be a manager,” Immelt said, adding that good leaders act, driving change and learning from mistakes.

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(L-R) Michal Taylor, senior advisor, Hillstaffers, Jennifer Costabile, general director, General Motors, Ted Davis, senior vice president & chief operating officer, Holman Manufacturing and Distribution. During this session on what’s ahead for auto, fleet, and business, panelists discussed the impact of mandates, how orders need to be done in a timely manner, and the needs to stay ahead of trends.

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Ted Davis, senior vice president & chief operating officer, Holman Manufacturing and Distribution, touched on the recent UAW strikes saying that it was still too early to see impacts but that the company was looking at shifts in availability, acquisition costs, and lead times.

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