Consultant Profiles

Our team of qualified specialists are here to support you, as a large fleet business, with over 100 years of collective experience in the fleet industry. As one of the UK’s largest* vehicle leasing businesses we are helping customers with fleet policy and supporting their transition to a more sustainable fleet. We cover finance and tax, policy, occupational road risk, environment and operations.

All consultants are professionally qualified in their specific fields of accountancy, taxation, procurement and fleet management, with many acknowledged as industry experts.

Our expert consultants can support you by:

Advising on upcoming regulatory and legislative changes
Demonstrating greater tax efficiencies for your business and for employees
Defining a clear path to your sustainability targets
Offer an even more attractive rewards package
Provide the right vehicle and leasing solution for individuals’ needs
Reduce carbon footprints through low emission leased vehicles

Ashley Barnett - Head of Fleet Consultancy

Qualified Management Accountant (Chartered Institute of Management Accountants)

Ashley oversees the management of our consultant team within Motor Finance & Leasing. His 29 years of financial services experience – 20 of those spent within the leasing industry – have helped him lead his team to multiple national awards. Ashley’s fields of expertise include sustainable transportation, funding and cost reduction methods. He regularly lends his knowledge and insight to the wider industry, speaking at fleet events such as BVRLA and ACFO.

Before assuming leadership of the Fleet Consultancy team, Ashley spent eight years providing strategic advice and guidance to senior corporate stakeholders. His expert insights into salary sacrifice, employee car ownership schemes, fleet strategy, funding and cost reduction enabled him to establish strong, lasting relationships with clients; and he brings all that experience and knowledge to this role.

Ashley has led the Fleet Consultancy team through some of the toughest market periods with such skill that they have won IAFN awards for the last three years running. The team was awarded Best Product or Service and Best Use of Data in 2020; and in 2018 and 2019 they were voted Best Professional Services Team. The Fleet Consultancy team also helped Lex Autolease outperform the market in share of electric vehicles in 2019 - a proud achievement for Ashley as sustainability is a core focus for him.

“I am particularly passionate about the role of fleets within the transition to a more sustainable leasing industry. I am proud to bring my all-around fleet market expertise and insight to the journey to zero emissions, as well as to fleet events and my leadership of the Fleet Consultancy team.”

Chris Chandler - Principal Consultant

20+ years training colleagues in Fleet Management.

Chris joined the Lex Autolease Fleet Consultancy team in 2007, eleven years after making the move from quantity surveying to strategic fleet consultancy. During his thirteen years with the team, he has brought a consistently progressive attitude to his work with fleets of all sizes. Chris’ expertise is wide ranging, covering fields such as sustainable vehicle technology, alternative fuels and environmental fleet management, alongside fleet operations and cost management.

Chris’ key focus is sustainability. He brings passion, insight and leadership to the industry’s move towards zero emissions, and has been a major influence in gaining greater market acceptance and take-up of plug-in vehicles across the UK. In fact, he’s been in GreenFleet’s '100 Most Influential People in Fleet’ for the last three years running.

In 2017 he led a team working with BAE Systems to introduce mass adoption of electric vans at Portsmouth Naval Docks. Following the project, his team won the BAE Systems’ Business Leaders Award, as well as the silver Global Procurement Award. Later that year Lex Autolease won GreenFleet’s Green Leasing Company of the Year 2017, while BAE Systems won their Green Fleet Operator of the Year 2017.

“I’m honoured to have helped the team take home these awards, but that’s not all I’m here to do. Building great relationships by delivering cost savings, efficiency improvements and sustainable fleet solutions is just as important, and I’m proud to continue delivering industry leading, bespoke fleet solutions to fleet operators of all sizes.”

Eduarda Thomas - Principal Consultant

CIOT Chartered Tax Advisor
ICAEW Associate Chartered Accountant

Eduarda has been a member of Lex Autolease’s award-winning Fleet Consultancy team for the past nine-and-a-half years, with specialist expertise in tax, accountancy and employee benefits. Over her 22 years in the industry, Eduarda has focused her drive and resourcefulness on building strong customer relationships and developing product offerings that maximise efficiency.

Eduarda began her career at PwC and then Andersen, training there before assuming a senior management role in the compensation and personal taxes practice at Robson Rhodes. From here, she moved to the people services practice at KPMG as a senior manager. Eduarda left professional services consultancy to join Lex Autolease as a Principle Consultant in the strategic fleet team – and she’s been here ever since.

Throughout her life Eduarda has demonstrated a determined and diligent approach to every challenge she has faced. When she first moved to the UK from Portugal aged 14, she was predicted to fail all her GCSEs due to the language barrier. Two years later, she passed every single one. Her proudest achievement to date within the Fleet Consultancy team is producing the organic Lex Driver Portal Calculator, which has gone on to become a trusted tool for many of our customers and their employees.

“I am driven by results and by customer satisfaction, and take great pride in maintaining trusting relationships amid a fast-paced, constantly evolving environment. I can’t resist a challenge, and I bring all my professionalism, determination, resourcefulness – and of course my organisation skills – to overcome every obstacle I face.”

Helen Cope - Fleet Consultant

BSc(Hons) Mathematics
Member of the Institute of Car Fleet Management

A key member of our Fleet Consultancy team, Helen has more than 17 years’ experience in the vehicle leasing industry. Helen uses this wealth of experience to manage the complexities and challenges faced by us and by our clients on a day-to-day basis. Her specialism lies within fleet policy, cost management and sustainability; and many clients have benefitted from her guidance in designing bespoke company car policies that not only fit their business objectives, but also aid progress on the journey towards zero emissions.

Helen began her career in finance and account management before joining the Lex Autolease Fleet Management team. After 12 years in the corporate channel, in May 2018 she became a Fleet Consultant – and has been an integral part of the consultancy team ever since.

Perhaps her greatest achievement to date is her successful management of the Lex Autolease EV1000 initiative. Helen oversaw the £1 million investment by Lex, which incentivised and supported clients as they started the transition to an electric future. She continues to offer guidance on best practice solutions to our own business as well as to our clients.

“My goal is always to provide the very best output possible, and my technical mind and sound financial understanding support me in doing so. I strongly believe that clear recommendations are necessary to support these outcomes, and I’m proud to offer these to both Lex and my clients, alongside my professional strategic advice.”

Paul Lippitt - Principal Consultant

Qualified Chartered Accountant

Paul brings 19 years’ experience in the leasing industry – and 31 years in total across financial services – to the Lex Autolease Fleet Consultancy team. Over his 13 years with the Lex team, Paul’s expert advice has continually enabled corporate clients to maximise fleet opportunities. He is an expert in lease accounting (particularly valuable to large corporations that fund vehicles), cost saving opportunities and optimisation of funding choice.

Paul arrived at Lex Autolease from Masterlease, where he was Head of Business Finance. Prior to his time at Masterlease he worked as part of the Strategic Initiatives team at General Motors Acceptance Corporation, with involvement in acquisitions and mergers. More than three decades spent in financial services have given him great insight into the sector, enabling him to work closely with senior stakeholders to achieve clients’ fleet goals.

Paul’s strategic fleet solutions are valued by both the Lex team and our clients, as are the innovative product ideas he develops to boost efficiency and sales in the leasing industry. He is a thought leader within the sector, and often offers his expertise at conferences and via Webex meetings, on wide-ranging topics such as opportunities for fleet cost savings, lease accounting implications, and the challenges and benefits of implementing electric vehicle schemes.

“Some people will know me from my talks at conferences or on Webex meetings, where I enjoy offering my insights into our industry to help corporate stakeholders make the most of their fleet opportunities. My experience and expertise in financing and leasing consultancy ensure I can continuously provide best practice advice to clients, no matter the size of their fleet or their business aims.”

Paul Coley - Principal Consultant

As a member of the Lex Autolease Fleet Consultancy team, Paul’s 16 years’ fleet experience follow 14 years in employment tax for HMRC and KPMG. Paul developed complex funding solutions during his time at KPMG, along with compensation and benefit schemes within the fleet sector. This specialist work was the springboard for him joining Lex (then Lloyds TSB Autolease) in 2003. Today, he uses his expertise in employment tax and employee rewards to devise innovative and bespoke fleet solutions for clients.

Paul’s particular area of expertise focuses on employee reward schemes, using his fleet knowledge along with the experience gained at HMRC and KPMG. He has consulted on a wide variety of corporate benefit programmes, including employee car ownership and private fuel schemes, helping to ensure well-rounded, practical solutions for clients.

Since 2006 Paul’s innovative approach to leasing and collaborative style have led to a 70% success rate in new business deals and customer retention. While delivering bespoke solutions, he has the valuable ability to break complex problems down into clear pathways using simple and straightforward language.

“I am someone who likes to challenge the status quo and always ask if there’s a better, simpler solution to a problem. My personal ethos revolves around integrity, reliability and honesty, and I’m proud to bring that to all the work I do for my clients with Lex Autolease.”

Meet our specialist Fleet Consultants