Mike Palmer is Director of Client Success at Nexus Rental, bringing over 20 years of experience with the business. Mike plays a key role in ensuring clients get the maximum value from both Nexus’s IrisÒ platform and its rental proposition. By actively listening to client feedback and turning insight into action, he helps drive continuous improvement across the customer experience…
Tell us about your company, products and services.
Nexus Rental’s industry-leading Iris® platform offers real-time access to the UK’s largest vehicle and plant hire supply chain. Through the platform our customers can hire from a network of 320+ suppliers and 550k vehicles including cars, LCVs, HGVs, and plant.
From one dashboard, customers have oversight of and can manage all their rental solutions in one place, from placing bookings to managing fines, damage claims, invoicing, to Management Information reporting.
What have been the biggest challenges the Fleet Services industry has faced over the past 12 months?
Across the industry, the biggest challenge has been EV residual values. Alongside this, the Fleet Services sector continues to face the same macroeconomic pressures affecting many other industries.
And what have been the biggest opportunities?
Rental has proven to be a very resilient sector when other industries have struggled. That said, it’s important to recognise that opportunities are not always obvious or presented to you—you have to actively identify and create them.
What is the biggest priority for the Fleet Services industry in 2026?
Stability. Whether driven by macroeconomic or political factors, I think everyone would welcome a couple of years of certainty and clarity about what lies ahead.
What are the main trends you are expecting to see in the market in 2026?
There is clear potential for further consolidation across both the rental and leasing industries.
What technology is going to have the biggest impact on the market this year?
From a systems perspective, the continued increase in the use of AI. From an industry perspective, it’s the ongoing adoption of EVs.
In 2026 we’ll all be talking about…
What’s going to happen in 2027! For the past 20 years, it feels like that’s always been the conversation.
Which person in, or associated with, the Fleet Services industry would you most like to meet?
Andy Palmer, and not just because of the name association. His work at Nissan, taking Aston Martin through its IPO, and his more recent involvement in the Net Zero space make him a fascinating figure.
What’s the most surprising thing you’ve learnt about the Fleet Services sector?
Nobody ever seems to leave it. People move between companies, but they rarely leave the industry altogether.
You go to the bar at the Fleet Services Management Summit – what’s your tipple of choice?
An Old Fashioned—or, failing that, Southern Comfort.
What’s the most exciting thing about your job?
No two days are ever the same. New challenges arise constantly, requiring you to pivot quickly. Every client has different requirements, and often several reasons behind those requirements.
And what’s the most challenging?
The same thing—although that’s also what makes the role so exciting.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
Never assume. Not everyone has the same level of detail or understanding of Nexus or the wider industry as you do.
Peaky Blinders or The Crown?
Peaky Blinders.
