Daewoo is restructuring its fleet department, decentralising operations in favour of showroom-based corporate sales specialists.

The changes could lead to up 15 redundancies out of a total 55 staff.

The changes in the fleet department come hot on the heels of a radical change in its retail strategy which has seen Daewoo opt for wholly-owned sites and for the first time establish a franchised network. Daewoo's own fleet sales specialists would be based in each of its 36 sites, while its appointed dealers would provide their own fleet experts.

Overseeing the operation will be Pat Farrell, director of sales and marketing.

Up to 15 people in the fleet department may be made redundant and those affected are now in a 30-day consultation period on their futures.

A Daewoo spokesman said: “The emphasis is now being placed on showroom-based fleet sales specialists supported by a dedicated head office team who will continue to provide support for contract hire and leasing customers. The infrastructure to support this already exists in Daewoo's network through its Local Business User programme.

“The change in the structure will provide the fleet specialists in Daewoo's network with more local support and greater autonomy, a move which provide added penetration in the competitive fleet market over the next 24 months.”