Auto Rental News
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Hertz CEO Stephen Scherr to Step Down March 31

Former Delta Airlines COO Gil West will succeed Scherr, previously a three-decade executive leader at Goldman Sachs, on April 1.

Hertz CEO Stephen Scherr to Step Down March 31

Scherr joined Hertz in February 2022 after spending nearly three decades at Goldman Sachs leading a range of strategic and operational functions. He departed the firm as chief financial officer in December 2021.

Photo: Hertz / Graphic: Bobit

3 min to read


After only slightly more than two years in his post, Hertz CEO Stephen Scherr will resign March 31, the company announced March 15.

Scherr will be succeeded by Gil West, former chief operating officer of Delta Airlines and GM's Cruise unit, starting April 1. West and Scherr will work together over the next several weeks to ensure a smooth transition.

Ad Loading...

Scherr joined Hertz in February 2022 after spending nearly three decades at Goldman Sachs leading a range of strategic and operational functions. He departed the firm as chief financial officer in December 2021.

"We are appreciative of Stephen's contribution over the last two years, including on a number of key strategic initiatives, which Gil will now lead in their continued execution," said Tom Wagner, vice chairman of the Hertz Board of Directors, in a news release.

Although neither Scherr nor Hertz gave any official reasons for his resignation, the departure comes within a few months after Hertz announced a major pullback from its investment in electric vehicles and its largest quarterly earnings loss in three years. Hertz is shedding 20,000 EVs, which amounts to one-third of the EV fleet, due to high repair costs and customer resistance.

"Over the last two years, the Hertz team has worked diligently to put the company on track for long-term success in a changing automotive landscape," Scherr said in the release. "Hertz is well-positioned for the future, and I look forward to seeing the company execute on its strategy as a leader in mobility."

While at Goldman Sachs, Scherr was a principal architect and leader of the bank's new consumer business, helping to build Marcus by Goldman Sachs and leading the launch of AppleCard. In addition to his experience standing up a digital consumer business, Scherr has deep experience in building business partnerships.

Ad Loading...

West has served as COO of GM's Cruise unit since January 2021 and before then was the COO of Delta Airlines from March 2008 to October 2020. While at Delta, West was responsible for Delta’s worldwide operations, including 366 airports in 66 countries, 1,300 aircraft, 200 million customers per year, more than 70,000 employees, and a budget of $16 billion, according to his bio at theorg.com.

"Gil's experience as a successful leader in operationally intensive businesses will further strengthen [Hertz's] world class team of over 27,000 global employees who work tirelessly to deliver outstanding service to customers daily," Wagner said.

Added Colin Farmer, lead director of the Hertz Board of Directors: "Gil's success in leading over 70,000 people at Delta and orchestrating highly effective operational turnarounds will position him well to lead Hertz. He will be able to build upon the strategic projects begun during Stephen's tenure, including improvements to technology, commercial partnerships, and the revitalization of our value brands."

West said he looks forward to working with the Hertz team to build on its 106-year history of brand strength and customer loyalty.

More Rental Operations

U-Save Mauritius team

U-Save Expands Indian Ocean Presence with New Master Franchise for Mauritius

The franchise has been acquired by Mauritian travel entrepreneur Umarfarooq Omarjee, an established figure in the island's tourism and mobility sector.

Read More →
Back view of a remote driver in front of a screen delivering a car to a location.

Global Carsharing Fleet Projected to Reach 768,000 Vehicles By 2030

A new Berg Insight forecast outlines several business models driving the projected growth in public carsharing worldwide through 2029.

Read More →
green and blue bar graphs compare fleet sales June 2025 versus June 2026
Fleet Acquisitionby Martin RomjueJuly 8, 2026

Rental Car Fleet Sales Show Mid-Year Strength

June gains ensured rental fleets closed out the first half of 2026 in positive territory.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Close up of a row of white CUVs in the Surprice Mobility fleet at the Milan airport.

Surprice Mobility Opens Corporate Rental Station at Milan Malpensa Airport

The Milan opening is part of Surprice Mobility's broader strategy to expand its corporate operations while increasing the use of technology across its network.

Read More →
Julian Gritsch with an MBA class in a classroom.

Brazilian Executive MBA Targets Growing Domestic Rental Car Industry

Rental car companies face a unique combination of challenges that are rarely addressed in traditional programs.

Read More →
Green Motion team with banner bearing Japanese flag.

Green Motion Expands Into Japan With Master Franchise Agreement

Japan's tourism industry, business travel market, and demand for vehicle rental services are reasons the country represents an important market for the company.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
ACRA Chairman Sharky Laguana on stage at the ICRS event in Grapevine, Texas.
Legal & Legislativeby Martin RomjueJune 24, 2026

ACRA Carrying Fuller Industry Load As AI and EVs Lurk In Future

The leading car rental professional business group details an active legislative, regulatory, and macro-trends agenda affecting car rental operators.

Read More →
Light blue horizontal bar graphs on a chart showing World Cup-related rental car booking trends.
Rental OperationsJune 23, 2026

World Cup Travel Data Shows Longer Car Rentals and More One-Ways

A recent analysis of FIFA bookings found varied demand patterns that influenced rental car pricing.

Read More →
Side view of ICRS speaker Sanchit Garg at podium in front of a floor lit red curtain
Rental Operationsby Martin RomjueJune 22, 2026

A Leveling Force: AI Morphs Into A Rental Car Profit-Seeker

Revenue managers can’t match the emerging AI tools gobbling lots of data that could counter the competitive race to the rate bottom.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Photos of Martin Romjue and Denis Gjoni on opposite sides of large headline for the video.
Rental Operationsby Martin RomjueJune 17, 2026

Stop Losing Money On Rental Tolls

Regardless of your rental fleet size and structure, fleet managers, executives, and owners can gain valuable insights into an often-overlooked area of fleet operations.

Read More →
Ad Loading...