Nicola Kane has been appointed as Regional Sales Manager for vehicle manufacturer Dennis Eagle.

Nicola will cover a territory stretching from Norfolk to Oxfordshire, down to Essex plus all of the London authorities north of the River Thames.

She is taking over the territory from Bob Tottey who will retire at the end of April after almost 19 years' service with Dennis Eagle. Until then, Nicola will be working closely with Bob to meet customers, become familiar with ongoing contracts and tenders and ensure a smooth hand-over.

Nicola, who has lived in Bedfordshire for more than 20 years, has a highly successful sales background and has covered much of the same territory for Johnston Sweepers since 2011.

'I'm pretty well-known in the municipal vehicle industry; there simply aren't enough women doing this job yet, but the flip side of that is that I get remembered, which is an obvious benefit.

'It also helps that I've covered a lot of the same territory for the last eight years ' albeit for the sweeper market ' but I already know around two-thirds of the fleet managers which is a great help.

'I've been digging deeper and deeper into the technical side of our products. I have a hunger for that kind of detail ' you can never know too much. And I have also been getting to know our Aftermarket team which is important so we have a fully joined-up approach. It's a very exciting time for me'

Nicola was appointed well in advance so that she had plenty of time to establish herself in her new role.

Dennis Eagle's Sales and Marketing Director Richard Taylor said continuity of customer service was always assured but choosing the right person for new challenges that lie ahead was crucial.

'We obviously knew Bob was coming up for retirement and we gave ourselves plenty of time to find the right person to take over the reins.

'This is a very important region for us and many of the changes the waste and recycling industry is going to go through in the next few years will start right here.  Nicola has an excellent sales record, knowledge of the region, outstanding people skills and a proven aptitude in this market sector.

'We're all delighted to have her as part of our team'

Nicola added: 'When such a good opportunity comes your way you've got to take it. It is a different sector of the market and a new challenge, which I love. Being successful in this industry is important to me.

'Working with Bob for the first few months also makes it so much easier. He's highly respected in the industry and it's a real pleasure and privilege of getting out and about with him'