As business development manager for the insurance/bodyshop sector Mr Preece, who has been Kwik-Fit Fleet’s area sales manager for the Midlands for the past nine years, will be responsible for establishing new and developing already existing business relationships with all major motor insurers.

Major customers include: RBS Insurance, which includes Direct Line, Churchill Privilege and Tesco; Royal & SunAlliance Group, which includes Royal & SunAlliance and More Than; and Aviva, which includes Norwich Union, Norwich Union Direct and RAC.

Kwik-Fit Fleet, almost exclusively through its Kwik-Fit Mobile division, is responsible for providing tyres to insurance companies’ network of approved repairers to fit to vehicles following an accident.

Mr Melville has spent more than eight years with Kwik-Fit Fleet successfully establishing and developing the insurance/bodyshop tyre replacement service.

Mr Preece, who officially took over the job on January 1, 2007, said, “‘Peter has left a tremendous legacy which I intend to build on as Kwik-Fit Fleet further develops its insurance-related business.”

Prior to joining Kwik-Fit Fleet, Mr Melville spent 20 years with Autoglass. He said, “I’ve had a fantastic career with the fleet and insurance industries, but it is now time to retire. I would like to thank all friends and colleagues for all their support over the years, and I hope that they will offer the same to Phil.”

Replacing Mr Preece as Kwik-Fit Fleet area sales manager for the Midlands with responsibility for business with fleets, small and medium-sized contract hire and leasing companies, bodyshops and dealers, is Clark Denton. Most recently he has been a transport planner at haulier Eddie Stobart and prior to that he was a sales executive for commercial vehicle, bus and coach manufacturer MAN ERF UK Ltd.