Thursday, June 18, 2020
Athlon CEO Gero Goetzenberger answers three questions on how the business will develop this year. This interview was published in Fleet Europe issue 117 on 16 June 2020.
What is your main strategic objective for 2020, both in Europe and beyond?
“Our key objective for 2020 is to support our customers in maneuvering through the current corona crisis. With our remaining capacities, we continue to drive our digitization agenda. Additionally we’re preparing further development of the product portfolio to more flexible offerings.”
How will the popularity of vehicle leasing and fleet management in Europe evolve in 2020?
“We’ll have to see which impact the current pandemic has on the fleet business. In general, it should accelerate the trend to more usage, and more flexible solutions. Additionally, customers are getting more used to online activities, further driving the demand for more digital offerings. Also, the outsourcing of fleet management helps our customers focus upon their core business, which is essential – especially in times of crisis.”
With smart mobility evolving fast and start-ups disrupting fleet management and leasing, how do you see the industry’s future?
“The trend from ownership to usage is transforming the automotive industry and creating new opportunities for Athlon. We are investing in new solutions, specifically in new rental and subscription business models, which will offer more flexibility to our customers. This comes with an improved, digital customer journey. Obviously, this also requires increased digitization of our processes.
In addition, we are working closely with Mercedes-Benz on transforming online connectivity into both new products and cost savings for our customers. We’re also helping to reduce fleet emissions by focusing on alternatives to combustion engines. We continuously broaden our know-how so we can advise our customers on how to integrate EVs into their fleets.”
01-03-2023
Schiphol/Almere, 1 March 2023 - Marchel Koops, Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) and Member of the Athlon Management Board, has been appointed Managing Director of Athlon Netherlands per 1 March 2023. He will lead Athlon Netherlands in addition to his current role as CCO. Koops succeeds Jean-Pierre Vissers who decided to continue his career outside the company.
01-02-2023
Schiphol, 1 February 2023 – Emiel van Onzenoort joins the Athlon Management Board as Chief Operations Officer (COO) per today. Emiel succeeds Peter Westermann who will return to Mercedes-Benz Mobility in Stuttgart, Germany. In this role, Emiel will be responsible for Operations across Athlon, reporting to CEO Christian Schüler.
14-11-2022
Athlon rolls out Athlon RoadSafety, offering solutions to support the EU target of zero traffic fatalities. The fleet and mobility provider partners with experts such as SafeDrivePod, Brightmile and Drivetech.