Hire Association Europe & Event Hire Association (HAE EHA) has announced the appointment of a new chair and vice-chair, following the association’s 2024 AGM.
Phil Leahy (left), the group strategic partnerships director on the UK Executive Board of Sunbelt Rentals, has been appointed as the new association chair. Sally Wray, the director and owner of tool hire company GoHire Group, has been appointed as the new vice chair. Outgoing chair Neil Bravery (right) now becomes the commercial director for the Association.
Phil Leahy brings 30 years of hire experience to the HAE EHA board, having previously been the founder of an independent rental business for 15 years before joining Speedy and expanding a number of divisions into market-leading operations.
Sally has almost ten years of experience in the hire industry, after purchasing GoHire Group in 2015. Sally recently established a second GoHire depot in Hull and has also acquired a depot in Grimsby, growing the business turnover to £1.7million.
Speaking about his appointment, Phil said: “I am delighted to be stepping into the role of chairman of Hire Association Europe and Event Hire Association, and I couldn’t be more honoured and grateful to take up this position.
“This year the association will be celebrating its 50th anniversary, at a time when the rental industry is facing numerous challenges and evolving at a pace we have never seen before. But with challenges always comes opportunity, and I am looking forward to working with the HAE EHA team to develop the role the association has in growing the industry through its fantastic members."
Discussing her new role on the board, Sally said: “When I began my career in the hire industry, I soon came to regard the Hire Association as my ‘port in a storm’. Its guidance and support at my every step has been so valuable to me personally and also to my business.
“To find myself voted by my peers to vice chair of the board is a huge honour and I’m very proud. I am very much looking forward to beginning work in this role and will aim to do my very best for the association and the hire community."
Reflecting on the outcomes of the recent AGM, HAE EHA CEO Paul Gaze added: “I would like to place on record my thanks to all board members for giving their time freely to support the work of the Association in promoting the sector and raising standards. Could I also say a huge thank you to Neil Bravery for his support and guidance over the past three years.”