Lepas has appointed Tim Whitworth as national leasing manager in the UK as the new brand prepares to establish its own fleet operation.
Other brands within the Chery International UK family – Omoda, Jaecoo and Chery – are supported by a combined fleet operation, headed by gleet sales director, Chris Clayton.
However, the intention is for Lepas to have its own bespoke set-up, reflecting both the ambitions for the new brand and the importance of the UK fleet market to its growth.
Lepas currently has 70 dealers in the UK and has a target of 90 with ambitions of 40,000 in 2027, its first full year on sale.
Whitworth joined Chery International in 2024 as contract hire and leasing manager.
He was subsequently promoted to national leasing and rental manager for Omoda and Jaecoo.
“I’m incredibly excited about the opportunity. Joining Chery in 2024 gave me the chance to be part of something new and to help drive Omoda and Jaecoo’s incredible growth in the UK.
“With LEPAS, I now have the opportunity to do that again, but this time to build a completely new fleet operation from the ground up. That doesn’t happen very often in this industry and it is a fantastic challenge,” said Whitworth.
“Having a dedicated LEPAS fleet operation means we can really focus on what our fleet, leasing and rental partners need from the brand. We can build those relationships from day one and make sure that fleet is at the heart of the LEPAS business as it grows in the UK.”
