CEO MONTHLY / Global CEO Excellence Awards 2025 5 Jul23542 Alex Rodov is both the CEO and managing director of Carbiz, Australia’s leading provider of replacement cars. Established in 2016, the company has almost a decade of experience providing support for those whose cars are involved in not-at-fault accidents or experiencing warranty issues. Alex and the team are passionate about disrupting car replacement through the service they provide, and we caught up with Alex for more on how Carbiz challenges convention, as well as the journey that put him in the driver’s seat. Australia, like countries all over the world, sees thousands of car accidents take place every day. As anyone who has ever been involved in a car accident can attest, the situation can be stressful and overwhelming, even for the person not at fault. Carbiz helps put an end to these worries, getting its customers back on the road as quickly and safely as possible. It does this by delivering a comparable replacement car straight to the customer, ensuring their mobility and lifestyle remain intact while their damaged car is repaired. Many people are unaware that if they are involved in an accident that wasn’t their fault, then they may be legally entitled to a replacement car paid for by the at-fault driver’s insurer. As touched on above, Carbiz sees its purpose as being to disrupt, redefining an industry that has long been plagued by a lack of transparency. Unfortunately, it is all too common for customers to go uninformed about what they are entitled to following an accident, which is particularly frustrating when they were not the cause. This stems from many organisations in this space prioritising their own interests, creating confusion and frustration for customers when what they really need is support and transparency, which Carbiz deliver. Every element of the customer experience has been meticulously mapped out by Carbiz, and applying for a replacement car could not be more straightforward. Customers simply fill out an online application form or call the in-house team to get started. All that is then needed is a bit of information about the accident and the details of the at-fault driver. Once this is all processed, a replacement car is delivered straight to the customer’s preferred location by members of the team, often within an hour of the request first being submitted. “We are redefining what Australian drivers can expect after an accident and aim to be their first point of contact.” The remarkable work Carbiz is doing when it comes to advocating for the rights of not-at-fault drivers has more than paid off over the past few years, with the High Court of Australia making a landmark ruling in 2021 in the wake of the Arsalan v Rixon and Nguyen v Cassim cases. With this ruling, the High Court clarified that not-at-fault drivers are entitled to a replacement car of a similar standard to their own, including luxury models where applicable. This set a new industry precedent, recognising that an accident shouldn’t unfairly strip someone of the amenities, safety features or overall enjoyment they previously experienced while driving. More information about the impact of this ruling can be found by clicking here. With a little help from this decision, and the dedication of the team behind Carbiz, the company has grown from its humble origins in a converted garage with just a handful of cars to a national organisation with more than a dozen locations spread across Australia. More than 2,000 late-model cars make up the Carbiz fleet, from renowned manufacturers such as BMW, Toyota and Tesla. Across this collection, cars of all shapes and sizes are available, ensuring customers have the right car for their unique needs. “We believe the industry needs to evolve into one that prioritises the customer experience and builds trust through honesty, consistency and accountability. That’s the shift we’re driving at Carbiz every day.” Alex Rodov has played a pivotal role in Carbiz securing their reputation as Australia’s go-to provider of replacement cars, with his expertise having served as the foundation of the company since day one. Despite what people often think, Alex has not always been involved in insurance or even the automotive industry, instead getting his start in real estate in 1998. It was here that Alex developed what would become a deep appreciation for customer service, which drew him to the role of senior personal banker with St George Bank. Six years later, Alex was bit by the entrepreneurial bug, leading him to launch and grow several successful ventures across a whole host of industries. These include in his previous areas of expertise such as financial services and real estate, and well as new frontiers like waste management, catering and legal services. Carbiz started out as one such venture, with Alex stepping into the roles of CEO and managing director. Alex explained: “I drew on everything I had learned to lead a business [Carbiz] that puts people first during one of the most stressful times in their lives.” As well as being wired into the needs of his customers, Alex’s strengths shine equally as bright when it comes to leading the team at Carbiz. Leveraging the same people-first ethos he affords customers, Alex’s hands-on approach to leadership ensures he is visible, approachable and aligned with the team every day. This is seen through steps as simple as Alex wearing the same Carbiz shirt as everyone else, which may seem trivial, but demonstrates that this is a team working together as equals. To this end, Alex also makes sure that every member of the team, regardless of their role at the company, understands how their work contributes to Carbiz’s larger goals. Alex does this in several ways, from hosting town hall meetings to sharing and celebrating both personal and professional milestones in Carbiz’s company-wide group chat. A culture such as this, which both empowers and allows people to feel seen, is essential for a rapidly growing and relatively new organisation like Carbiz to succeed. The company is constantly having to compete with the giants of the industry, and its mission to disrupt the status quo whilst also expanding its reach makes things twice as hard. Nevertheless, Carbiz’s passion has ensured its rapid growth over the past nine years, with it now boasting locations from Perth to New South Wales and everywhere in between. Such swift expansion has, however, brought challenges of its own, especially when it comes to the company keeping its processes, fleet and infrastructure all consistent with the pace of the business’ expansion. This is a challenge that Alex more than welcomes, as it has opened the door for more talent. Diving deeper into what this strategy looks like for the rest of 2025 and beyond, Alex tells us that Carbiz aspires to continue expanding their reach so they can fulfil their mission of being
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