Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG)

As a leader in the fleet and mobility management industry, Wheels holds itself accountable to celebrate, support, and operate with a strong sense of responsibility and integrity. We believe that the fleet and mobility management industry presents the perfect opportunity to make a positive contribution to society.

Consistent with our values of Client Success, One Team, Doing the Right Thing, and Innovation, ESG is integrated into our culture and operations: from the fleets we serve and the communities we live in to the employees and supplier partners on which we rely.

pounds of carbon reduced annually through sustainable vehicle implementation

Wheels workforce represented by minority and vulnerable groups

spent with diverse-owner businesses annually

Our environmental, social, and governance program focuses on the areas on which we can influence and make an impact.

Environmental

As a steward of the environment, Wheels works toward a more sustainable future with a focus on lowering green-house gas (GHG).

Social

Wheels is committed to establishing trusted business relationships and communities that promote wellness, safety, and diversity to help people thrive.

Governance

We are an organization that takes responsibility for operating with elevated levels of security, transparency, quality, and fairness.

Taking New Strides Each Year

At Wheels, we view and approach ESG as an evolutionary cycle – is it about making real progress while adapting and adding to our practices based on our changing environment and society. We are committed to doing our part to shape the world for the better. We continually look for and work towards impactful ways in which we can operate without negatively impacting the environment, community, or society. Recent key accomplishments include:

Joined the United Nations Global Compact, the world’s largest corporate responsibility initiative.
Consolidated workplace footprint from two Illinois locations to one, selecting a LEED Platinum® certified building, the highest rating from the U.S. Green Building Council.
Grew existing sustainable vehicle program, EcoWheels, to encompass nearly 70,000 sustainable vehicles in 2023. The program helps reduce Scope 3 emissions while simultaneously helping clients achieve their own emissions reduction goals. Sustainable vehicle options include battery electric vehicles (BEV), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) and hybrid vehicles that support diverse fleet functions and business priorities.
Introduced new employee volunteer program, offering paid time off for employee volunteer activities with approved 501(c)3 organizations. Through this initiative, Wheels employees participated in nearly 200 hours of volunteer work in the greater Chicago and Atlanta metro communities.
Instituted a new DE&I strategy and six areas of focus: Celebration, External, Recruiting, Community Action Program (CAP), ERG (Employee Resource Group) & Supplier Diversity. Other activities included: launched a Diverse Voices DE&I Blog, “See Me” Stories and Be the Voice discussion sessions.

Getting Better the Further We Go

We stand on our recent accomplishments to raise expectations even higher. We will continue to raise the bar each year with the attitude that our next accomplishments act as a gateway to our future goals. With the unique advantage of passionate and committed leadership supporting our efforts, we will continue to progress our environmental, social, and governance program to more mature levels. Here are some key areas of focus on our ESG roadmap:

Defining specific targets and pledging further commitments with third-party organizations that focus and set targets across all ESG areas, including green-house gas (GHG) reduction targets.
Expanding our training and development for employees which include launching more educational courses for employees to better understand the impact their role makes and how they can continue to drive positive impact and identifying and leverage more internal champions.

Our ESG Commitments in Action

Over the years, we’ve worked to establish ESG behaviors and programs not to fulfill an investor need but because it’s good business practice. While we continue to work toward improvement, many of our initiatives are part of our standard year-round practices. Here are a few key areas to note:

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Wheels is dedicated to creating an equitable and supportive environment for all employees. No matter their race, gender, sexual orientation, or ability status all are welcome and valued. We believe remarkable things are achievable through collaboration, inclusivity, and diverse thought. A diverse and inclusive workforce is essential for innovation and success. We train our employees on expected behaviors and offer anonymous hotlines and other feedback channels to encourage and allow people to share their voices safely.

Our Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) efforts also extend to the suppliers with whom we partner. Wheels celebrates and strives for diversity amongst our vendor networks to support both our clients’ and Wheels’ diversity goals. Integrated into our procurement strategy, we work with diverse suppliers through our networks, including maintenance shops, collision repair vendors, delivering dealerships, fuel providers, transportation providers, auctions and more. Wheels actively presents opportunities to direct more spend towards diverse suppliers, monitor supplier diversity spend, and report the results to our clients.

Volunteer

We encourage connection within the Wheels community and in the communities we serve. Through Wheels Cares, we create meaningful opportunities for colleagues to engage together, hands-on, and make a positive impact in our local communities. As part of our Paid Time Off program, all employees are eligible for to take 16 hours per year to participate in Wheels-sponsored volunteer events.

Health and Wellness

Wheels is committed to the good health and well-being of our employees. This is why we offer several ways to keep our employees and their families healthy in body and mind. This includes:

Healthcare. Plans that help coverage and manage health care expenses.
Protection. Plans that provide financial security when the unexpected occurs.
Retirement & Savings. Plans that offer flexibility to plan for a financially healthy future.
Work & Family. Includes ways to help manage family, career, community, and education by offering additional benefits and paid time off.

We believe that the most effective means toward achieving both is through individual empowerment. Through our unique Health and Wellness program, employees can participate in a program that provides the tools and motivation to make healthy choices. Employees can choose from, engage in, and be rewarded for a wide variety of healthy activities.

We also prioritize the safety of our fleet drivers and all those on the road by implementing robust safety protocols and training programs.

Environmental Sustainability

Wheels is guiding our clients—and the industry – to a zero-emission mobility future with clean-driving consultancy, electric vehicle assessment tools, charging solutions, goal-tracking technology and more. We have helped our clients avoid thousands of metrics tons of green-house gas (GHG) emissions from entering our atmosphere.

Our commitment to environmental sustainability doesn’t stop there. Our efforts extend to our offices and policies. Our environmentally friendly building practices such as timed-use of HVAC systems, recycling bins at each desk, complimentary electric vehicle charging, single-use plastic removal from common and café areas, and more.

Corporate Governance and Stakeholder Engagement

We have a robust governance structure in place, with clear roles and responsibilities for overseeing ESG performance. We are committed to ethical business practices, regulatory compliance, and transparent reporting on our ESG progress.

Our ESG Committee, comprised of senior leaders from across the organization, is responsible for overseeing the implementation of our ESG strategy. The committee regularly reviews our progress, identifies areas for improvement, and ensures that our ESG initiatives are aligned with our overall business goals. We are committed to transparency and accountability, and we report our ESG performance annually to our stakeholders.

Wheels is committed to engaging with our stakeholders – including employees, customers, supplier partners and our owner Athene Holdings – on ESG issues. We value their feedback and insights and incorporate them into our decision-making processes.