Academic and Professional Background
Dr Stephen Evans - Almost 40 Years of Experience in Credit Hire
I am a Management Consultant who specialises in the field of credit hire. I aim to help all my clients achieve all of their goals. I have years of experience at the sharp end of the industry and have also served on the executive committee and as Chairman of the CHO, the Credit Hire Industry Trade Body. I have also represented the industry on the Association of British Insurers GTA Technical Committee between 2005 and 2016. Please consider my academic and professional experience.
96 SAE Ltd - Managing Director
August 2016 - Date
96 SAE is a management consultancy specialising in credit hire and through which I originally supplied evidential and analytical support to my former employer in a successful Commercial Court litigation involving the detection, pursuit and prosecution of a £140 million fraud. I now supply consultancy services to those invested in the credit hire market and other corporate clients. In addition, as an accredited civil and commercial mediator, I offer mediation services.
Honorary Lecturer
August 2019 - Date
Following the completion of a four-year research programme into critical criminology and insurance fraud, I was awarded the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in May 2018. I am now also an Honorary Lecturer at the Institute of Criminal Justice Studies, University of Portsmouth. I have had a long interest in the growth of insurance fraud since the turn of the century and specifically in respect of the way that the creation of IFED has made it easier for criminals to commit fraud and avoid detection and conviction.
Automotive and Insurance Solutions Group plc -Â Chairman
September 2016 - May 2017
Following its delisting from the London Stock Exchange in 2011, AISG was the parent company for a number of trading and non-trading subsidiaries including Accident Exchange Ltd, previously one of the largest credit hire companies in the sector, and APU, DCML, In-Car Cleverness, Basic Hire Rate. I took the role of Chairman after 16 years as Chief Executive.
Automotive and Insurance Solutions Group plc - Chief Executive
January 2001 - August 2016
I was a founder shareholder of Accident Exchange Group plc in January 2001, a business which was placed on AIM and then admitted to the Official List of the London Stock Exchange before the business changed its name. I participated in number of acquisitions and a series of public offerings; raised equity of c£50 million, asset funding of c£120 million and £50m Convertible Loan Notes before completing a take-private in 2011. The Group, at its peak, employed 750 people, had a market capitalisation of £300m and held leading positions in credit hire, telematics, counter fraud, day rate insurance and intelligence on basic hire rates.
In-Car Cleverness Ltd - Director
May 2011 - August 2016
In-car cleverness is an innovative 'end to end' solution enabling dealerships, manufacturers, rental operators & leasing and contract-hire companies to enhance customer engagement and improve profitability by continually listening to what a car has to say and then acting upon it. It relied upon a telematics device but the true capability of the product was a function of the management software. The business is a subsidiary of Accident Exchange Group plc.
DCML Ltd -Director
May 2006 - August 2016
DCML Ltd is a wholly onwed subsidiary of Accident Exchange Group plc. It provides software and insurance solutions in respect of the provision of daily insurance cover for the automotive dealership market. It was acquired by the Group in 2006.
Car Price Check Ltd - Managing Director
January 1999 - January 2001
Car Price Check was launched around two years before its time. It was a car price check comparison service which used the Internet to 'spider' and store details of car prices from dealers, importers and internet web sites, allowing consumers to determine which source represented best value. In most cases it was the UK dealer. Consumer interest was generated as a byproduct of pricing reports supplied to and featured on television and radio and within the quality and tabloid press. Partnerships existed with a variety of household internet brands which allowed the generation of hundreds of thousands of enquiries and thousands of leads sold to importers, UK dealers and internet suppliers.
Autohit plc - Managing Director
1998 - 1999
Autohit was a start up technology business which, thanks to the dot com boom, received a £5 million equity investment from RAC plc (formerly Lex Services) which valued the business at £10 million. The business provided internet services for motor dealers and developed Car Price Check, an internet based price comparison and lead generation tool.
United Kenning Rental Group - Group Marketing Director
I participated in a £30 million management 'buy -in buy -out' of the Kenning business from Inchcape plc and then merged it with Accident Assistance Ltd and the United Rental Group to create the largest UK rental organisation at the time.
1994 - 1997
Accident Assistance Ltd - Managing Director
1992 - 1998
Accident Assistance was a credit hire business and the management team participated in the successful 'buy in - buy out' of the United Kenning Rental Group from Inchcape plc in December 1994. Accident Assistance then became a subsidiary of the United Kenning Rental Group and it was eventually sold to GE Capital in 1997
Accident Aftercare plc - Managing Director
Accident Aftercare was a credit hire company which operated throughout the United Kingdom providing hire vehicles on credit to individuals referred by insurance brokers and vehicle body repairers.
1989 - 1992
Policy Master plc - Managing Director
1984 - 1989
Co-founded the business which supplied computer systems and software to the insurance industry. Three years in we sold 50% of the equity to a consortium of insurers in a transaction which valued the business at around £8 million.
Benham & Wilcox Ltd - Managing Director
This was my first foray into credit hire following an accident whilst I was employed as a Police Officer. For me, it all started here.
1981 - 1989
West Midlands Police - Police Officer
Police Officer engaged on uniform duties.
1981 - 1984