NAFA Announces All-Star Lineup Of Global Fleet Management Speakers For Conference

(PRINCETON, NJ – JULY 15, 2013) – As Major League Baseball enjoys its annual All-Star Week, NAFA Fleet Management Association is compiling its own all-star team of global fleet managers for the International Fleet Academy this October in Tucson, AZ.  The first two speakers to be announced are former NAFA President Gayle Pratt, who recently retired from Ecolab; and NAFA’s International Vice President, Joe LaRosa, CPA, MBA, Director Global Fleet Administration for Merck Sharp and Dohme (MSD).

Pratt directed Ecolab’s North American fleet operations of 8,000 vehicles in sales and service fleets, and the global fleet of 18,000 vehicles in 78 countries.  Responsibilities included strategic global and regional supplier sourcing and relationships for products/services, fleet budgets, and sustainability plans. In 2008, she was among the final candidates for the International Fleet Manager of the Year award.  Pratt retired March 22, 2013, capping a 35-year career in the industry.  

LaRosa, became NAFA’s first-ever International Vice President in 2012.  He has been working in fleet management since 1995, starting with Bristol-Myers Squibb. He evolved this position into Global Fleet Management in 2001 and would go on to be named Professional Fleet Manager of the Year in 2007.  The following year, LaRosa moved on to join MSD to start the Global Fleet COE (Center of Excellence).   In his current role, LaRosa manages 29,000 cars worldwide in over 100 countries with 12 team members strategically placed in EMEA, North and Latin America, and Asia-Pacific. 

“We’re compiling a true all-star team of speakers and faculty for NAFA’s 3^rd Annual International Fleet Academy,” said NAFA’s Executive Director, Phillip E. Russo, CAE.  “Gayle and Joe are both highly respected innovators who helped shape the direction of global fleet management.  NAFA will be announcing more members of our lineup later this week, including fleet managers based around the world.  It’s the greatest collection of global fleet managers ever assembled in one place!”

NAFA’s 3^rd Annual International Fleet Academy will take place October 21-23 at Loews Ventana Canyon in Tucson, AZ.  This 3-day conference was designed specifically to meet the needs of those who manage fleets outside of the United States and Canada.  In addition to over 15 educational sessions, the conference offers exclusive networking opportunities and a cocktail reception and dinner each night. Early-bird registration is $650 for NAFA members and $1,105 for non-members. After August 16, registration costs are $799 for NAFA members and $1,550 for non-members. Fleet professionals may save $200 off the registration costs by joining NAFA as they register.  

Attendees receive several value-added educational items to take back to the office including a ready-to-use executive summary; free subscription to International Fleet World magazine; the newly published NAFA’s Global Fleet Guide; and valuable checklists for policies, RFIs, and RFQs.  All total, it’s a resource package valued at $2,500 – well worth the registration costs alone. 

For more information visit http://www.nafa.org/international.

About NAFA Fleet Management Association

NAFA is the world’s premier non-profit association for professionals who manage fleets of sedans, public safety vehicles, trucks, and buses of all types and sizes, and a wide range of military and off-road equipment for organizations across the globe. NAFA is the association for the diverse vehicle fleet management profession regardless of organizational type, geographic location or fleet composition. NAFA’s Full and Associate Members are responsible for the specification, acquisition, maintenance and repair, fueling, risk management, and remarketing of more than 3.5 million vehicles including in excess of 1.1 million trucks of which 350 thousand are medium- and heavy-duty trucks. For more information visit http://www.nafa.org.