MARIUS Barnard, Babcock’s new Managing Director for the company’s Transport Solutions business, is gearing up to further entrench the DAF Trucks brand in southern Africa, exclusively distributed by Babcock in the region.
With a career in commercial vehicle sales spanning over 25 years, Barnard aims to build on the success that Babcock has achieved in establishing the DAF Trucks brand in southern Africa over the last decade, and will be focusing on enhancing Babcock’s aftersales service and customer support.
Despite numerous accolades, including five consecutive Dealer of the Year awards, over 20 category awards, and a coveted Chairman’s Award, Marius remains humble and willing to learn, maintaining that not always having the answers should be seized as an opportunity for growth.
He believes that Individual egos have no place in his grounded approach to business that emphasises teamwork and peer-to-peer collaboration. “It’s amazing what you can accomplish when you’re not concerned about who gets the credit.”
He added that personal interactions are his strength, and this was an influential factor in his decision to start the next chapter of his career at Babcock. “I was drawn to Babcock’s personal approach to their customers and their people-orientated values, as well as the Babcock International Group’s global footprint and premium brands.”
Barnard began his career in the commercial vehicle industry in 1994 at the Barloworld group, moving from a sales executive role to holding various senior management positions. In 2007, he was appointed Dealer Principal and General Manager of a major truck and vans franchised dealer group within Barloworld.
Most recently he held the position of Fleet Executive for Barloworld Transport, where he was responsible for the total cost of ownership of Barloworld Transport’s fleet of vehicles, including commercialisation, procurement and disposal, group workshops, group tyres, Road Transport Management (RTMS) and Performance-Based Standards (PBS) accreditation, technical, compliance and group fuel.
Barnard said he intends to grow Babcock’s Transport Solutions business organically through honesty and accuracy, and by building on the business’s already established support network.
“In a service business such as Babcock, it’s the people who really make a difference in how the company is perceived. Satisfied customers are strong market tools, and word-of-mouth goes far in helping you sell a product.”
