Behind the Brand: Carparison
Over the course of the year, we will be introducing the people behind the brands that we all see on the Exeter Chiefs kit and around the stadium to give people an insight into our commercial partners.
Matt Woodward, General Manager at Carparison
Who are you and what do you do?
I’m Matt Woodward and I’m the General Manager at Carparison (and Vanparison). We are a vehicle leasing broker and fleet management company that looks to service the vehicle requirements for private individuals, SME business and corporate business through a variety of funding methods but primarily Contract Hire. The fleet management side of our business assists with taking the stress and time out of the complexity and compliance headaches of running a fleet of vehicles. We have particularly strong direct relationships with car and van manufacturers, which enables us to generate strong discounts as a result of the volume of business that we transact with them, which we then pass onto our clients. We effectively find the most competitive wholesale price to source a vehicle for, and then pair it with the funder who has the most competitive rate on that vehicle at the time. A large part of our success at the moment due to the worldwide component shortage, has been to plan long ahead of supply issues biting, so that we are able to continually offer our customer base competitive rates, with quick delivery times.
Who inspires you in the world of business?
I wouldn’t say any one person in particular but I do enjoy a good underdog story or someone who has defied the odds issued to them. I’d also suggest those leaders that gain absolute buy in and trust from their teams through empowerment and trust. Simon Sinek’s quite an interesting character in this field if I have to name someone in particular.
What was it that made you want to partner with Exeter Chiefs? And what do you hope to achieve?
Sport is generally something I have a big interest in and to see a local club rise as it has throughout the last 20 years to become a force both domestically and across Europe is something we should all be very proud of and most importantly it’s been done sustainably and in the correct manner. I draw many comparisons to how we want our business to grow over the next 20 years so see lots of synergy between the two entities. We often picked the Chiefs to be our nominated “team social” of choice as well. I actually think the suggestion of sponsorship actually came from one of these socials after a few Otter’s!
What can Members, supporters and club partners expect to see from the business over the next 12 months?
As mainly a digital business, an increased physical presence to assist with the growing business and corporate channels is something the associates of the club can definitely expect to see. In Q4 2022 we will be opening our fleet and business hub whereby businesses and the general public can make an appointment to come into our Business and Electric Vehicle Knowledge Hub for assistance on all things car and van. Our local business team will be resourcing heavily also so that we can come to the premises of our clients as demand for services in this area grows. You will also be seeing us appear on the away kit shorts for the 2022/23 season.
Quick fire questions
What exactly is it that you do? I devise the operational go to market strategy for the business.
Best part of the job? The best part of the job for me, being a business that is only 3 ½ years old is watching how the business and more importantly the people in it have developed. We started the business with 5 people back in 2019 and it’s now 40 + strong. I’m very fortunate to have some of the best leaders in the industry running the various departments that they do and the overall culture that’s developed is one of genuine care for each other and a drive to be the best at everything we do.
Favourite thing to do away from the office?- That’s of course been somewhat limited over the pandemic but I’ve found a real appreciation of the simple things. Prior to being able to travel again I would definitely say getting the paddle board out on a late summer’s evening and taking some Fish and Chips down to Budleigh Salterton with the family after all the crowds have left for the day.
Interesting fact about you? My father is actually called Clive Woodward. Not the Clive Woodward the rugby fans would instantly think of, but he’s considered a local hero! Further to that, I went to university with the son of the other Clive Woodward.
Favourite sports person? I’d have to say Steven Gerrard. As a big football fan he was one of those leaders who could completely change the momentum of a game all by himself and motivate his team-mates around him. I still watch back at the 2005 Champions League Final footage in Istanbul. The recovery from being 3-0 at half time against arguably the best team in Europe at the time, then to pull it back and win on penalties, never fails to amaze me and was the epitome of his leadership.
Are there more wheels or doors in the world? I’d say doors.
Who would you most like to have dinner with past or present? Probably Elon Musk at the moment.
What superpower would you like to have? Teleportation.
Favourite place to eat? Locally, I’d have to say Harry’s in Longbrook Street.
Tea or coffee? Depends on the time of day but 9 out of 10 times it’s a coffee!
Favourite Podcast or book.- I love anything that puts a twist or different perspective on the psychology of managing people and leadership. I’m actually reading “How to win friends and influence people” by Dale Carnegie at the moment. It’s very much considered one of the originals in this field. I’m not really a novel/fiction sort of reader though.
Night in or night out? Night out (not many years left of choosing that one though).
Cats or dogs? Dogs.
Cream first or jam first? Cream of course! It’s just the equivalent of butter isn’t it!?