“An excellent mentor, Brian’s relationships are built on growth and trust, and this permeates internally as well as externally in our business partnerships.” — Matt de Aguiar, Chief Operating Officer, Fleet Advantage

Brian Holland is a living testament to the notion that innovation transcends mere ideas; it is about executing those ideas to deliver value to clients and associates.

Throughout his career, Holland has revolutionized asset management for transportation fleets by introducing flexible leasing and truck lifecycle management solutions that reduce costs and enhance productivity. Driven by his vision, Holland aims to empower the U.S.’s transportation fleets to leverage data analytics, asset management and flexible financing to address vehicle obsolescence.

“My journey in equipment finance has been defined by a strategic focus on driving value and operational excellence,” Holland says.

VISIONARY LEADERSHIP
Although his career started in public accounting, most of Holland’s experience early on was as a financial and operations executive with high-growth and high-tech firms, where he effectively used leasing to fuel sales growth. This prior experience would ultimately lend itself to his journey with Fleet Advantage. He began as chief financial officer, was promoted to president and, today, serves as the company’s CEO.

Under Holland’s visionary leadership, Fleet Advantage achieved a remarkable milestone in 2023: its lease originations exceeded $1 billion for the fiscal year with over $3 billion in assets under management.

“Brian’s imprint on the culture of Fleet Advantage is unmistakable,” Matt de Aguiar, chief operating officer of Fleet Advantage, says. “His creative thinking and openness to others’ ideas drives our innovation every day. He is even-keeled in any situation with an end goal of a win-win outcome.”

CHANGING THE GAME
Holland says a key differentiator for Fleet Advantage is the development of an IT infrastructure that aggregates all metrics contributing to the cost of owning and operating a heavy-duty tractor. The system allows fleet executives to analyze lifecycle costs, make informed decisions about truck replacement cycles and maximize fuel efficiency and productivity.

Under Holland’s leadership, the company has also implemented data analytics and advanced algorithms for pricing, structuring and lifecycle cost management to optimize fleet performance. These innovative projects have played a significant role in driving Fleet Advantage’s lease origination volume. The introduction of its Early EXchangeIT^(R) Program has further contributed to the company’s
growth.

ADDRESSING THE MARKET
Clients’ concerns and priorities are the “why” of Holland and his team’s innovative efforts. One standout initiative the Fleet Advantage team recently formulated was the creation of EVAN, the Electric Vehicle Analytic Navigator, which assists fleets in assessing the total cost of ownership for electric vehicles and alternative fuel options — addressing a top priority for many fleets and companies today.

“The success of these projects really stems from understanding clients’ operational and financial needs, and then meeting those needs through advanced data-driven solutions that provide value through an array of operational services — not just financing,” Holland says.

In another instance of responding to client feedback, Fleet Advantage introduced an unbundled Full-Service Lease Comparative Index, which helps organizations with private fleets determine whether unbundling their lease structure is the best financial decision. For Holland, this is a particularly important product in Fleet Advantage’s suite, as he says fleet executives often grapple with the decision between an unbundled structure and a full-service lease. To further address this challenge, Holland and the Fleet Advantage team formed a strategic partnership with Cox Mobility and FleetNet America to offer customers an unbundled lease, along with a nationwide maintenance solution and program.

“The real challenge for companies with transportation fleets is having the ability to sort through all of that data, to determine what’s relevant and then to make it actionable,” Holland says. Thus, the Fleet Advantage team synthesizes this vast amount of information to provide business intelligence, analytical tools and actionable recommendations. This approach enables clients to make informed decisions about their fleets, especially in an era where rising operating costs, including maintenance and repair, make it crucial to manage assets efficiently.

“By utilizing predictive tools, we can effectively minimize uncertainties while maximizing potential returns,” Holland says.

AN INNOVATIVE TEAM
Holland credits John Flynn, founder of Fleet Advantage, as the innovator and mentor who taught him to challenge traditional thinking and historical practices to look for new, creative ways to solve clients’ problems and gain a competitive advantage in the market. The real driver behind his current success, Holland says, is the team of associates at Fleet Advantage. By investing in their continuous learning and development, he has cultivated a diverse, high-performing team with strong retention. •