Fleet Practitioner Profile: Lee-Ann Kahl
The fleet management industry has such a diverse range of people and roles, and everyone has a unique story of their journey in our industry. This month we caught up with Lee-Ann Kahl, Fleet and Fabrication Manager, Infrastructure and Environment Department, Ipswich City Council.
FI: What have you gained and how do/did you feel doing the IPWEA Fleet Management Certificate course?
LK: I completed the IPWEA Fleet Management Course at the same time as the Fleet Finance Partner. We both found the course to be very informative and helpful in fine tuning many of the practices Council already had in place. The bench marking tables and frameworks provide additional references for the whole team to assess our own performance across industry standards. I will be rolling this training out across the Fleet Leadership and Business Operations teams, as I feel it will assist them in gaining a deeper understanding of how connected our business is.
FI: How did you get started in fleet and plant management, and what was your first job in the industry?
LK: I started in the industry as a Business Improvement Officer. This allowed me to gain intimate knowledge of the operations and processes. Throughout the project, I realised how extensive Fleet operations are within the Organisation and identified many opportunities for improvements. This resulted in a permanent position within the team and later led to my current position of Fleet and Fabrication Manager.
FI: Tell us about your role and the kind of fleet, plant and/or personnel you manage.
LK: ICC is currently running 1,150 assets with an approximate value of $50 million. The split across the asset class is 185 light vehicles, 233 major plant, 592 minor plant, 39 waste trucks, 93 job trucks. These figures also include 121 assets council supply and maintain for the State Emergency Service (SES).
The Fleet team is made up of 35 people:
- 19 Mechanics across day and afternoon shift – Planned maintenance is completed by afternoon shift.
- 4 Fabricators
- 2 Apprentices – Mechanical and Fabrication
- 3 Workshop Co-ordinators
- 7 Support staff – Including Fleet Sourcing / Procurement, Store Persons, Asset management, Compliance, and Operations Support.
FI: What’s the favourite part of your job?
LK: Supporting the Fleet and Fabrication team to deliver services to the whole of Ipswich City Council. That, in turn, serves and benefits the Community.
FI: What are some of the biggest challenges you see facing fleet professionals this year and beyond?
LK: Resourcing and retaining qualified Mechanical and Fabrication staff in a Local Government environment.
FI: How do you think fleet departments can make sure they have buy-in and support from the rest of their organisation?
LK: What works for me is building relationships and including them in the journey. Encouraging feedback from the end user and looking at fit for purpose equipment to assist them in delivering their services.
FI: If you weren’t in the fleet industry, what would you be doing?
LK: I am attracted to positions where I know what I do benefits others. Being a Council employee allows me to satisfy this need. When I think about what I would be if I wasn’t a Fleet Manager, it would be mentoring and coaching young people to empower and assist them in life.
Please email the editor if you, or another fleet practitioner you know, would be interested in sharing your unique story with the fleet management community.