Hertz Announces Executive Appointments in Europe

Hertz Europe has announced three new executive appointments. Francis Waddington has been named as vice president, Europe and Rafael Girona has been appointed as vice president, field operations and customer experience. Both Girona and Waddington will report directly to Michel Taride, group president, Hertz International.

Additionally, Richard Davies has been appointed as country manager, Hertz UK, reporting to Waddington.

As vice president, Waddington will be responsible for defining the operational strategies for all corporate countries in the region. Waddington, who most recently served as vice president, South Europe, has more than 37 years of operational leadership and management experience, including 16 years serving in a general manager capacity at Hertz Italy, Hertz France, and Hertz Spain.

In his new role, Girona is now responsible for leading all operational support functions, including operations services, customer experience, and local business development of both Hertz Car Rental and Hertz 24/7 in corporate Europe. Girona most recently served as vice president, North Europe at Hertz where he led the development of the North Europe corporate operations, including serving as General Manager for Hertz in Germany.

As UK country manager, Davies will be developing and executing the strategy and business plan for Hertz in the country. Additionally, he will drive employee development and focus on customer satisfaction as well as representing Hertz to employees, customers, suppliers, partners, and regulators in the UK. He has held various positions both in operations and the U.K. head office over a 25-year period.

“Francis’ and Rafael’s new roles are part of our strategy to gear up the performance of our European operations even further,” said Michel Taride, group president, Hertz International.  “I am confident that their multiple geography experience, leadership skills, and focus on key strategic areas will bring strong value to the business and have great impact on our customers’ rental experience."

“I am very pleased to see my role expanding to oversee Hertz’s strategies across all our corporate country operations in Europe,” said Waddington. “I will work closely with our great teams across Europe to ensure we continue to strengthen our already solid division to offer our customers the best car rental products and services.” 

“I am excited to lead areas of the business that have direct impact on our customers,” said Girona. “At Hertz, we work hard to continuously enhance our customer proposition, evolving with the times. In my new role, I will further drive Hertz’s focus on providing a superior rental experience through great service, professional staff, convenience, and transparency across Europe.”

“Having started my career at Hertz as a customer service representative 25 years ago, I feel honored to now lead the company’s operations in the U.K.,” said Davies. “With a strong team, a modern, diverse fleet of vans and cars, an expanding footprint and prominent partnerships, Hertz UK boasts a strong proposition for leisure and business customers alike. I will continue to work hard to ensure Hertz’s customers have an excellent experience when renting a vehicle in the U.K.”