Barnett Elected Chairman of SideStep Board
SANTA CLARA, Calif. --- SideStep, Inc., a travel search engine, announced that its board of directors has elected Jim Barnett as chairman. Barnett has served on the board since March 2004.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. --- SideStep, Inc., a travel search engine, announced that its board of directors has elected Jim Barnett as chairman. Barnett has served on the board since March 2004.
Barnett is CEO and Chairman of Turn Inc., an Internet advertising network. He served most recently as the President of Overture's Web Search Division, including AltaVista and Fast.
Barnett joined Overture via its acquisition of AltaVista, where he was President and CEO
"Jim has had outstanding experience growing and managing prominent companies in the search sector," said Russ Lemelin, SideStep's interim CEO. "His guidance since joining SideStep's board of directors has been invaluable, and we feel fortunate to have Jim further strengthen his ties to SideStep as our board chairman."
Before joining AltaVista, Barnett was President of MyFamily.com, the parent company of Ancestry.com and Rootsweb.com, the leading genealogy search services.
In addition to his work with SideStep, Jim currently serves on the board of directors of ValueVision Media and the management board of Stanford Graduate School of Business.
More Rental Operations
Turo to Launch Vehicle Delivery Service
Turo Delivered will let travelers search for vehicles that hosts can deliver directly to hotels, homes, airports, train stations, and other locations.
Read More →
Palm Beach Airport Code Change Creates Car Rental Distribution Gap
A test of rental searches under the old PBI and new DJT airport codes returned largely different sets of brands and vehicles, highlighting a potential distribution problem for rental operators.
Read More →
U-Save Continues Dominican Republic Expansion with Launch in Punta Cana
The new franchise location builds on U-Save’s existing Santo Domingo operation and will begin taking reservations for October 2026.
Read More →
When AI Books the Rental Car, Who Controls the Sale?
As AI moves from comparing rental rates to completing transactions, operators need to understand how travelers find, interpret, rank, and ultimately see their offers. (Part 2 of 2.)
Read More →
European Booked Car Rental Rates Fell 5%, Results Varied by Country
Ireland, Cyprus, and the United Kingdom saw steep declines, while booked rates rose in Poland and Hungary.
Read More →
Is It Time to Rethink Rental Categories?
As traditional economy and compact cars disappear from the market, longtime rental operator Mike DeLorenzo asks whether the industry’s familiar vehicle categories still make sense — and what operators need to rethink along with them.
Read More →
Who Owns the Rate? AI Is Creating a New Distribution Problem for Car Rental
Generative Engine Optimization asks whether AI can find a rental company, but operators also need to know whether the agent inspected enough of the market, compared equivalent offers, and presented a rate the traveler can actually book. (Part 1 of 2)
Read More →
U.S. Business Travel Car Rental Rates Forecast to Rise Up to 2%
Improved fleet supply should limit pricing gains in 2026-27, while insurance, repair costs, and softer residual values continue to pressure rental operations, according to Amex GBT.
Read More →
Sixt Revenue Tops $2.4 Billion in First Half of 2026
Sixt’s first-half revenue surpassed $2.4 billion for the first time as demand outpaced fleet growth, lifting utilization and earnings despite weaker consumer sentiment in North America.
Read More →
In Memoriam: Bobby Klyce, Avis Licensee Legend
The longtime Birmingham Avis operator and 2018 Auto Rental News Impact Award recipient was remembered as an advocate for independent licensees and the broader car rental industry.
Read More →