It’s not every year that a company turns 100; and it’s certainly not every day that it can celebrate that impressive milestone with the customers and business partners who helped support its success. However, that’s what happened when 200 senior fleet, finance, and procurement leaders along with a number of major vehicle equipment distributors came together for three days of interactive sessions and discussions at Holman Drive 2024 annual conference.
While the past was celebrated, the main focus was on the next 100 years and preparing for the future of fleet.
KEY THEMES AND LEARNINGS
Holman Drive attendees have said that hearing and learning from their peers is one of the most valuable parts of the experience. This year, more peer-to-peer knowledge sharing sessions were scheduled than ever before, as experts from across a variety of industries shared their successes in key areas such as sustainability, efficiency, supply chain management, navigating merger/acquisition activity, and overall cost control.
Attendees also joined deep dive learning tracks that focused on specific vertical markets and functional areas, such as vocational fleet operations versus sales fleets as well as strategic development and execution.
100 YEARS OF DRIVING WHAT’S RIGHT
Attendees also heard directly from Holman’s executive leadership including Mindy Holman, Chair of the Board, and Chris Conroy, CEO, as they reflected on how a legacy of supporting people and always doing the right thing for Holman’s customers has led to what today is called the Holman Experience.
Conroy highlighted the key pillars of the Holman Experience – ease, expertise, and relationships. He also shared Holman’s strategic vision, to be an exceptional place to work and company to do business with by delivering world-class products and services to ensure Holman’s relevancy for generations to come.
Additionally, a panel of Holman’s senior leaders including Bob White, Pete Dondlinger, Aarthi Murali, and Mark Bryan highlighted how Holman is investing and preparing for an industry that is on the cusp of significant transformation. The panel explored a variety of topics including evolving customer expectations, the importance of strong fleet partnerships, and how Holman will continue delivering innovative solutions that bring value for all stakeholders.
INDUSTRY MEGA TRENDS
With major changes looming in Washington, a panel of industry analysts and policy experts including Cox Automotive’s Jeremy Robb, senior director of economic and industry insights, and John Drake, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s vice-president for transportation, infrastructure and supply chain policy, discussed what may be on the horizon. This panel provided context as to what a new administration in the White House might mean for the automotive and fleet industries, particularly around key issues such as potential tariffs and environmental regulations and EV adoption.
SOLVING TODAY’S FLEET CHALLENGES
A panel featuring several customers explored a variety of real-world fleet challenges along with the solutions that delivered meaningful results for each organization. The conversation underscored the value of connecting with peers from across the industry and sharing strategies for overcoming common challenges. The panelists discussed the importance of engaging all fleet stakeholders to help make the right strategic decisions and ensure buy in from all involved. They also shared why communication across all levels and effectively leveraging data to help all stakeholders understand the why behind various decisions is vital to successfully navigating M&A activity.
CELEBRATING PARTNERSHIP MILESTONES
Acknowledging that a century of success is only possible through long-tenured partnerships, customers of 25 years or more were recognized for their commitment to Holman over the years. Several customers were profiled back to the earliest days of their partnerships when fleet management looked much different to what it does today.
The event was capped off with attendees being treated to a special evening with renowned mentalist Oz Pearlman, who brought the house down with a great performance.
