Hannah takes to the field for Vanaways sales team

Fast-growing independent vehicle supply specialist Vanaways is stepping out, by appointing a new Business Development Manager to take its trade direct to customers’ doors.

Hannah Pearson has joined the Bristolbased company as its first sales specialist to be permanently ‘out of office’.

Reporting to Business Development Director Liam Nicholas, Hannah’s role will be to visit prospective new clients across the UK – with the aim of winning them over to Vanaways’ combination of a simplified ordering process, quick turnaround and minimal hassle.

Hannah brings a strong track record to her new position. She spent four years in a similar role for one of Britain’s biggest commercial vehicle rental providers, and three years with a leading car and van hire operator before that.

“Moving to Vanaways is already such a refreshing change,” she said. “We’re a much smaller organisation, which means decisions are taken and put into action far quicker.

“But at the same time, the way the company works, with direct access to vehicles from a wide range of manufacturers, means I have virtually unlimited availability and can give my

customers the vans they want to very tight timescales.”

Hannah’s brief is to focus mainly on companies with fleets of 10 vehicles or more – and although she covers the whole country, initially she will target operators in the North of England.

“I’m originally from Durham, and now live in Liverpool, so it makes sense for me to spend more time visiting prospective customers closer to home,” she explained. “If you take Merseyside, Manchester, Leeds and all the towns and cities between, that’s a lot of potential new business!”

Liam Nicholas added: “We’re delighted to have added Hannah to our close-knit team – she brings a great deal of expertise and experience, as well as huge dose of enthusiasm, to Vanaways.

“We’re sure she’ll be a great success and our plan, as this side of the business takes off, is to add more new fieldbased Business Development Managers to our line-up.

“We’ll continue to stand by our pledge to provide the best possible customer service because – especially in the fleet market, where operators are replacing vehicles on a regular basis –that’s how we’ll prove to people that we’re worthy of winning and retaining their business.”

Established in 2017, Vanaways spent its first years concentrating mainly on retail sales, but last year’s recruitment of Liam Nicholas and creation of a Business Development Team marked a switch to also target the fleet market.

Since then Vanaways has also signed partnership agreements with DIY trade retailer Toolstation and temperaturecontrolled body conversion specialist CoolKit.

Meanwhile, Hannah is aiming to reach new heights outside work, as well as in her new job. A keen hill-walker, she’s aiming to complete the ‘Wainwrights’ the 214 fells featured in author Alfred Wainwright’s celebrated hiking guidebooks to the Lake District.