Business View Oceania | Volume 4, Issue 3

37 38 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA VOLUME 4, ISSUE 3 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA VOLUME 4, ISSUE 3 AUSTRALAS I AN FLEET MANAGEMENT ASSOC I AT ION (AFMA) two days and host our networking awards dinner where we present three industry awards with much celebration.” BVO: How has COVID impacted your programmes? Hartley: “COVID and technology has affected our members but it’s also affected us at AfMA and how we deliver. We started our webinar series in mid-2020 after COVID began and we’ve generally had an audience of 200 people on each one over the last two years. Our members are all over Australia, New Zealand, Southeast Asia, and one in Mauritius, so the moment you go to a webinar structure, you’re giving a broader audience access to something that’s quite meaningful. Typically, about 60 percent of people who register show up – which is double the industry best practice. So obviously we’re doing something right. “Last year, in 2021, instead of those topics being fleet practitioner-based and supplier-based, we actually created a personal development series around emotional intelligence. That was good for any person in an organisation regardless of their seniority or their role. We had people referring their family members to it, even their children, because emotional intelligence is the start of self-understanding but it also helps you understand why other people react to certain things you do and say. So that was an amazing series. We had around 320 organisations tune in and some organisations have built that series into their learning and development plans for the year – and it’s totally free. So COVID did have a positive influence for us, in that regard.” BVO: How would you describe your membership? Hartley: “We have about 500 members – 30 percent of those are suppliers; 70 percent are people who own or manage their fleet of vehicles. Of those 70 percent fleet owners and operators, it’s about 50 percent governments of different sizes (Local, State, Federal) and the other 50 percent are private enterprise and Executive Director, so I’ve been around for seven years and my predecessor was here for 20 and was part of the start-up. The Association now has a staff of seven, including two part-timers. Along with myself as Exec. Director, I have a General Manager, a Relationship Manager, a full- time writer in the Philippines, a part-time writer here in Australia, a website graphic designer in the Philippines and we recently employed a person based in Sydney as an Industry Learning & Development Specialist. We all work remotely and keep in touch via Teams Meetings to maintain continuity of relationship and I think that’s the status of many people right now.” BVO: Has the Association’s mission changed over the years? Hartley: “The mission statement hasn’t changed. We’re still there to promote Fleet Management as a true profession and to educate those operating in Fleet Management. And importantly – we are a Fleet Management association not with strategies, networks and tools to shape the future of Fleet Management. Business View Oceania spoke with AfMA Executive Director Mace Hartley about the value of the Association, industry insights and challenges, and how AfMA will continue to be a viable voice for its members in the future. BVO: Can you give us an overview of AfMA and why it was founded? Hartley: “To begin with, Fleet Management is very complex. You need to understand procurement and remarketing, you need to have some accounting skills to manage budgeting and forecasting, you need to have an understanding of policy development and HR. You definitely need to understand work health and safety, because the vehicle is a mobile workplace. AfMA essentially developed because of that complexity of the industry. “We’re now in our 27th year – I’m the second a Fleet Managers association. The difference is that we’re not just communicating with Fleet Managers, we’re communicating with everyone in the Fleet Management train. You may be the Fleet Manager responsible for millions of dollars of assets, but have no control over the drivers that often report to other frontline managers. We’re here to help inform our members and advocate on behalf of the industry. Those things have not changed in the 27 years. “What has changed is how we go about that and our abilities to reach people and deliver the content in a timely manner and in a location that’s best for them. We host about 20 events a year, including three or four Professional Development Forums in each capital city, where we connect people with educated speakers on a variety of topics. And we host an annual conference and exhibition, which for the last 15 years has been in Melbourne and in 2022 will be in Sydney for the first time. During that conference, we hold educational sessions over