Palladian Investment Partners invests in Global Vehicle Group

Private equity firm Palladian Investment Partners has agreed to invest in Global Vehicle Group (GVG), providing backing for the leasing broker’s next stage of growth while industry veteran Andrew Cope joins the business as non-executive Chairman.

The transaction, which is subject to regulatory approval, will see Palladian become GVG’s new private equity partner, with existing investor H2 Equity Partners exiting the business after supporting its growth over the past four years.

GVG is one of the UK’s leading B2B car and van leasing brokers, serving businesses through a multi-brand platform focused on the corporate vehicle market.

The investment is expected to accelerate the company’s growth strategy, with plans to enhance its proprietary technology, strengthen its customer proposition and invest further in its people as it seeks to increase its share of the UK’s corporate car, van and fleet markets.

“We are incredibly excited to partner with Palladian, who share our vision that our business can continue on its strong growth trajectory and take a bigger share of the huge market for corporate cars and vans in the UK.

“It will allow us to build on our market-leading customer proposition by developing our proprietary technology and investing in our great team of people. We are grateful to H2 Equity Partners for their support as our first private equity partner and they have been highly instrumental in our success over the past four years.”

“GVG is an outstanding business; a clear category leader with a differentiated multi-brand platform, a loyal customer base and a team that is genuinely passionate about delivering the best outcomes for its clients.

“Andrew, Jon and the wider team have built something that is well ahead of its peers; we see a significant opportunity to go further by investing in GVG’s technology, broadening its product offering and helping the business capture a greater share of the SME van, car and fleet markets. We are delighted to be their partner for the next phase of the journey.”

Alongside the investment, GVG has announced the appointment of Andrew Cope as non-executive Chairman.

One of the UK’s best-known figures in the fleet sector, Cope was a founding member of Zenith and served as Chief Executive Officer, overseeing the company’s growth through multiple successful management buyouts and a period of significant expansion. His experience of building one of the UK’s largest independent leasing and fleet management businesses is expected to support GVG as it enters its next phase of development.