Saab has appointed Paul Adler as its new head of fleet sales, as the marque begins moves to re-establish itself as a fleet favourite.

Its corporate sales have been decimated following the uncertainty of its future.

Now its future is secure under the ownership of Spyker and production of the new 9-5 is underway, the Swedish manufacturer must now work hard to get fleets and lease companies as well as private buyers back into its cars.

As a result, desks used by Saab’s UK fleet sales staff will be the first to be cleared in the wake of the Swedish company’s last-minute rescue.

Adler has a wealth of experience in the fleet market and will head Saab's plan for 2010 - the year it says it will return to fleet choice lists.

“We urgently need to re-establish our credentials with the fleets, but the first job is to move the fleet operation out of the General Motors UK headquarters,” Saab GB managing director Jonathan Nash said.

“Independence means we no longer need to be embedded within Vauxhall and the team is coming out straight away.”
Nash said separation from Vauxhall would allow Saab to take a different approach to future fleet business.

“We will be aiming for baseline and corporate user choosers. We have done well in the past with drivers who can pick from a range of cars but many fleets simply took us off the lists because of the uncertainty about the future of the brand.

“Putting that right will take a few months and will be hard work, but cars like the new 9-5 will help us get re-established,” he said.