DaimlerChrysler Services UK has announced a number of senior management appointments including Peter Derks as managing director. Peter succeeds Alwin Epple who has left the UK to take up a new position on the Board of DaimlerChrysler Services in Berlin.

Steve Durrant has joined the company as director of commercial vehicles and managing director of Mercedes-Benz CharterWay, DaimlerChrysler's commercial vehicle contract hire and fleet management arm. The new developments are completed by the appointment of Doug Moody as divisional sales and marketing director.

Derks, 44, moves to the Milton Keynes-based motor finance and insurance company from his previous role as managing director of DaimlerChrysler Services Netherlands. He has been with the DaimlerChrysler Group for more than 10 years and has 16 years' experience in financial services.

“My priority is to combine excellent customer service with innovative product development. This will be achieved by working closely with our manufacturer colleagues at DaimlerChrysler UK and the dealer network to ensure we build on our strengths throughout 2004 and beyond,” says Derks.

Durrant, 41, brings 14 years' financial services experience to his new role as successor to Mark Lovely, who has taken up a new post as senior vice president of commercial vehicles for DaimlerChrysler Sweden and Denmark. Durrant joins DaimlerChrysler Services from PACCAR Financial Europe (DAF Trucks), where he was based in the Netherlands as director of operations.

Moody, 46, succeeds Bob Middleton, who has been appointed managing director in the Netherlands. Moody joined DaimlerChrysler Services from his position as managing director Chrysler Finance in 2000, at the time of the Mercedes-Benz/Chrysler merger. He has previously worked at NatWest and United Dominion Trust (now Blackhorse). His previous role with DaimlerChrysler Services was as sales director for the passenger cars division.