Speakers
Keynote Speakers
Leo Cai
Executive Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer, eHi Car Services
Executive Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer, Leo Lihong Cai has served as Vice President of Sales and Marketing with eHi Car Services since April 2008. Dr. Cai has over 15 years of experience in marketing and information technology, and over six years of experience in the car rental and car services industry. Prior to joining eHi Car Services, he served as a market development director at EMC Corporation; a pre-sales director at Hewlett-Packard; and an enterprise solution and strategic alliances director at Mercury Interactive Corporation.
Matthew Daus
Transportation Technology Chair, City University of New York (CUNY)
Matthew W. Daus, Esq. currently serves as Transportation Technology Chair at the City University of New York’s (CUNY) Transportation Research Center of The City College of New York, where he conducts research, and continues to be extensively published as an expert on ground transportation regulation and technology. As a CUNY Distinguished Lecturer for the past 9 years, he taught courses on transportation history, policy, sustainability, for-hire regulation and technology. Mr. Daus also continues to serve for the past 10 years as President of the International Association of Transportation Regulators (IATR), a non-profit educational and advocacy peer group of government transportation regulators from around the world promoting best regulatory and innovative practice. Commissioner Daus is the longest serving Chairman of the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC), serving for 8 ½ years. Prior to his tenure as Commissioner, Mr. Daus served in executive and other positions in NYC government for almost 20 years at several agencies including as General Counsel to the TLC and the NYC Community Development Agency, as Special Counsel to the TLC and NYC Trade Waste Commission, as a NYC Human Rights Prosecutor, and as Commissioner of the NYC Civil Service Commission. Mr. Daus is a partner and currently chairs the Transportation Practice Group at Windels Marx Lane & Mittendorf, LLP.
Brian Deeley
Director, Product Management, Spireon
Brian Deeley is a driving force behind the company’s vehicle finance product strategy and leads teams responsible for product definition, customer requirements and solution delivery. Brian has over 20 years of experience in technology, bringing ground-breaking hardware and software solutions to market. Previously, Brian served in product and marketing leadership roles at Smith Micro and Uniloc USA. He holds a degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara and an MBA from Indiana University's Kelly School of Business.
Tomi Gerber
Assistant Vice President, Government & Public Relations, Enterprise Holdings EHI
Tomi currently serves as an Assistant Vice President of Corporate Government & Public Affairs for Enterprise Holdings. During her 24-year career with Enterprise, she has managed corporate liability efforts in numerous states; directed risk management efforts in the New York tri-state region; and served as Vice President of Government Affairs in New York, New Jersey and Vermont. In her current role, she is responsible for global policy issues related to new mobility, the data economy and connected and automated vehicles; directs government affairs in the European Union institutions and select member states; and provides government relations strategic support to operations in the eastern United States on issues that cross the entire transportation sector.
Alienor Izri
Head of Customer, Marginfuel
Alienor has deep experience in revenue management in the rental vehicle sector, including the application of technology to pricing. Most recently Pricing Manager at Europcar NZ, Alienor has also held senior revenue, marketing and customer experience positions with Aerodrive Car Rental and Ezi Car Rental New Zealand, one of the largest independent car rental in New Zealand. This is complemented with Alienor’s earlier background in the broader tourism sector.
Kristie Lightfoot
Fleet Connected Vehicle & API Data Services Manager, General Motors
An experienced Connected Vehicle professional and proven leader in the field, Kristie has over 28 years of automotive experience. Through her B2B sales experience, she has been able to connect the needs of fleet customers with the specific vehicle data required to run their operations efficiently. By highlighting all that General Motors is able to provide through its connected vehicle platform and fostering strong customer relationships, Kristie is able to maximize sales and develop innovative solutions that best meet customer needs.
Arun Rajagopalan
Co-Founder & CEO , Motorq
Arun is the co-founder and CEO at Motorq, a connected-car data and analytics platform company. At Motorq, Arun and his team are building infrastructure and analytics tools to help enterprises derive actionable insights from multiple car data sources, including OEMs and after-market device manufacturers. Arun is a passionate engineer and data scientist, and started his career at Bosch in Detroit, writing algorithms for vehicle safety systems such as ABS and Traction Control. He later spent seven years at Booz & Company, developing commercial strategy for clients across multiple industries.
Gregory M. Scott
President, GAVDA
Greg Scott is the Executive Director of the Global Alliance for Vehicle Data Access. GAVDA is a diverse group of global stakeholders and thought leaders united by the common goal of ensuring the right of private and commercial motor vehicle owners to maintain control over their personal and vehicle-generated data. GAVDA’s primary goal is to be achieved by preserving and enhancing the current vehicle data environment of open, secure, technology-neutral, and direct access by vehicle owners to real-time data. Greg is a Washington, D.C.-based attorney and lobbyist with over 35 years of experience representing clients and trade associations before Congress and the federal administrative agencies.
Event Emcee
Chris Brown
Executive Editor, Auto Rental News
Chris Brown is the executive editor of Business Fleet Magazine and Auto Rental News for Bobit Business Media. Through these publications, online newsletters, trade events and associations, Chris covers all aspects of the fleet world, including fleet management, manufacturer fleet activities, the fleet leasing industry, vehicle remarketing, rental industry news, car rental taxation and legislation as well as automotive environmental initiatives and trends. Chris is actively involved in the National Vehicle Leasing Association and produces the Car Rental Show. Chris is relied on as industry resource in matters relating to car rental by major media outlets such as the Washington Post, New York Times and National Public Radio.
Session Speakers
Alex Aryafar
Founder and Chief Technology Officer, Rent Centric, Inc.
Alex is a 20 year veteran of design and development of centralized management systems for various vehicle rental markets. As a founder and lead architect of Rent Centric systems, based in Toronto, Canada, he directed the organization to pioneering the concept of 100% web based rental management rental automation. Alex is also playing a key role in bringing affordable Car Share and Peer-to-Peer technology to profit-focused, mature, vehicle rental businesses worldwide. Today, 15 years after establishment, Rent Centric, Inc., in no small part through Alex's vision delivers sophisticated automation services to 1200+ global clients, assisting them in achieving their competitiveness and success objectives.
Carlos Bazan
Head of Corporate Development, Worldwide Leaders Grid
Mr. Bazan is a businessman and investor in several industries. He has built businesses from startup to profitability and private placement ever since 1995. His initiatives include IT and Internet, Media, Sustainability, Retail, and Car Rental, and disruptive technologies. Among his accomplishments were founding and launching Yahoo! in Mexico, and building one of the top car sharing-based car rental company in the United States.
David Castro
Fleet Director, Colonial Hyundai
David Castro is a Graduate of the School of Business of the University of Kansas. He is an automotive business professional specializing in fleet operations and has remained at the forefront of “out of stock purchasing in North America” for the past 10 years. He has worked in dealer/fleet operations for several of the largest manufacturers of new car vehicles in the world, specifically foreign imports.
Sean Cox
Owner Operator, U-Save Car and Truck Rental
After four years in the USMC, Sean was hired to manage a small, locally owned rental car company in 1995. Completed Bachelor of Science in 2004, and purchased the same company in 2006. Proud member of the U-Save franchise since 2008 and is a standing member of the U-Save Franchise Advisory Council. Experienced in car sharing since 2013 with multiple companies. Today Sean is not only an active “owner” with dozens of vehicles across many major platforms (Turo, Drift, GetAround, HyreCar and others), he also provides consulting, coaching, training and business plan/model development for rental car operators and car sharing owners who have never been involved with commercial car rental.
Solomon Cramer
President, Budget Rent a Car Harrisburg
Solomon is the licensee owner and operator of Budget Car and Truck Rental of Central Pennsylvania. He was previously the owner of Vintage Cards Inc, one of the largest retailers of sports collectibles and memorabilia in the United States.
Angela Dodd
Assistant Vice President, Government & Public Affairs, Mile High Markets, Inc.
Angela has over 30 years' experience in the insurance industry, with a focus on program development, underwriting and management. She has been with Mile High Markets, the exclusive program manager for Nationwide E&S/Specialty, since 2001, and managing the Daily Auto Rental Insurance Program since 2009.
Israel Duanis
Co-Founder & CEO, Fleetonomy
Israel Duanis is an autonomous vehicle veteran and data-driven technologist who utilizes his passion for innovation to lead Fleetonomy’s journey towards the autonomous revolution. By using Fleetonomy’s smart-mobility platforms, top tier OEM’s, car rental services, transit agencies, and mobility operators are already launching their new mobility services in order to capture today's opportunities and prepare themselves for the future ahead. Israel holds an M.Sc., in System Engineering from the Technion and a B.Sc., in Physics & Mathematics from Hebrew University. He is also a graduate of the IDF’s prestigious Talpiot cybersecurity program.
Dionabel Espinola
Associate Product Manager, TSD
Dionabel Espinola is the Associate Product Manager at TSD with a focus in monitoring tasks involving cross-functional teams in marketing, sales, customer services, IT and production to ensure quality and completion of projects on time. She started her career with Enterprise Holdings and has nearly a decade of industry knowledge. Advocating and building relationships with clients has allowed her the opportunity to work with a diverse group of manufactures, auto groups and corporations both domestically and internationally.
Sharon Faulkner
Executive Director, American Car Rental Association (ACRA)
Sharon Faulkner is the Executive Director of the American Car Rental Association. She has been involved with the car rental industry since the 1970’s. She was the owner/operator of Thrifty and Dollar Rent A Car in Albany, NY for over a decade and worked with corporate Avis/Budget Group before becoming the director of ACRA. She has been a board member of each national car rental association and has always been very involved with the legislation that affects the car rental industry. Sharon advocates extensively to promote sensible legislation on both a national and state level.
Julian Gritsch
CEO/Owner, Euroit Technology
Julian Gritsch is the brain behind EuroIT Technology, the Leader in SaaS solutions / management for the Car Rental and Fleet Management in Brazil with more than 700 companies/customers and 150.000 vehicles managed thru the solutions. More than 30 years of experience in technology and 20 years in the Rental Industry. Degree as Software Engineering, MBA in People Management and Masters in Administration by the best Universities in Brazil. 8 Years of Background at Renault Brazil and corporations in Brazil and Abroad.
Albert Guarnieri
Supervisory Special Agent, Federal Bureau of Investigation, National Tripwire Program
Albert J. Guarnieri is the Supervisory Special Agent and Program Manager of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Tripwire Program. In that capacity, Guarnieri works closely with corporate level security officials to provide situational awareness tools, informational products, and training to aide front-line employees in the identification of suspicious activities/behaviors possibly associated with terrorism. Guarnieri joined the FBI in 2004, first serving as an Intelligence Analyst in the International Terrorism Operations Section before attending the FBI Academy to become a Special Agent. Guarnieri spent ten years in the Chicago Field Office working Domestic Terrorism, Human Intelligence, and Counterterrorism matters. As a Counterterrorism Agent, Guarnieri managed FBI personnel, planning, and resources allocated to support special events within the Chicago Field Office’s area of geographic responsibility, including the 2012 NATO Summit. Before joining the FBI, Guarnieri served as an Intelligence Analyst with the Central Intelligence Agency, serving three of his five years with the Agency as a Senior Duty Officer in the White House Situation Room.
Shantell Guerra
Project Manager, Bobit Business Media
Shantell Guerra is a project manager at Bobit Business Media. She manages B2B content marketing campaigns for advertisers in publications such as Automotive Fleet, Government Fleet, Work Truck and Heavy Duty Trucking. She has experience overseeing the planning, design, and execution projects and focuses on customer success and satisfaction.
Pamela Hanks
Claim Specialist III, Nationwide Insurance
Pamela has been in the insurance industry since 1985. She previously worked for Royal/Sun Alliance until they left the US Market. In 2000, she went to work for Scottsdale Insurance, a subsidiary of Nationwide in their Rental Car Program. She was the first offsite employee and housed in the program managers office of Mile High Markets in Colorado. She has been with Nationwide for 19 years handling complex injury and has litigated files countrywide.
John Hansen
Manager of Client and OEM Experience, TSD Rental
John Hansen, Manager of Client and OEM Experience, is part of the senior management team at TSD leading the strategic effort for global business development in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Ireland, Germany, Mexico, the Caribbean, Latin America and Asia. John has over 20 years’ experience in the car rental and courtesy car technology solutions segment. His car rental background includes 20+ years with Budget Rent a Car, operating 14 local market and airport franchise locations. John is proud to be an integral part of client success while providing comprehensive vehicle management solutions for the car rental and automotive dealership courtesy car segments.
Kaila Hart
Senior Client Services Manager, Frontline Performance Group | fpg
Kaila Hart is a senior client services manager with FPG with a focus in short-term mobility and the rental car industry. Upon earning her B.S. degree from Indiana University, she started her career with Enterprise Holdings. Since joining FPG, she has worked with over 50 car rental and automotive clients to enhance their customer’s experience and profitably grow and retain their business.
John Healy
Analyst, Northcoast Research
John joined Northcoast Research in May 2009 as Managing Director and Equity Research Analyst covering the Business Services sector, with specific emphasis on the Car Rental and Industrial Services, Commercial Services and Staffing industries. Prior to joining Northcoast Research, John was an Associate and Senior Analyst at FTN Midwest Securities from 2003-2009. John and his team have developed an extensive network of industry contacts to draw from, including private equipment rental operators, equipment auction operators and auto auction operators, private uniform rental operators, private document management operators, private U.S. and international professional, industrial, and commercial staffing operators.
Wes Hurst
Attorney, Polsinelli
Wes Hurst is an attorney with a nationwide Mobility and Vehicle Use Practice. He represents rental car companies, carsharing companies, automobile manufacturers and companies pursuing new and emerging business models related to mobility and the use of vehicles. Wes is a frequent speaker and author on mobility related topics.
David Justice
Southcentral Rental Manager, Alaska Auto Rental
With over 30 years’ experience in car sales and over 20 years in auto rentals, David has transformed multiple rental businesses to make them more successful and profitable than before his arrival. He is highly sought after by other companies in the rental industry and other industries to direct their sales efforts.
Karim Kaddoura
Co-founder, Virtuo
Born in Beirut, Lebanon and raised in Paris, Karim graduated in 2007 from Tufts University in Boston & LSE in London and also holds a Master's degree from SciencesPo Paris. He co-founded his first start-up in 2008, called NeoWebCar.com, the first ever new car classified website in France that helped consumers select and buy their next car from an inventory of 50,000 new cars from 2,500 car dealers. The website rapidly grew to be one of the Top-5 most visited auto website in France and was sold to l'Argus, the used car leader in France. In 2015, he co-founded Virtuo, the new generation of car rental: 100% mobile and hassle-free service that reinvents the experience of car rental in train stations, airports and cities. No lines, no paperwork, and a standardized fleet of fully equipped cars. Thanks to the Virtuo application, customers unlock and complete their damage report with their smartphone. Virtuo is going against the big car rental companies with a true customer centric and technological approach. Virtuo raised 30M Euros in total since its creation, among which Balderton Capital (Revolut, Vivino, Citymapper,...) and the service is now available in 10 cities in France, Belgium, the UK and Spain and Germany in 2019.
Russ Lemmer
President & General Manager, Dealerware
Russell Lemmer is a storied business builder known for developing mobility concepts into high-value businesses. In his role, Lemmer is currently growing the Dealerware SaaS business by helping those in the automotive space (dealerships, dealer groups and big auto manufacturers) use technology to better manage growing fleets, from loaner cars to subscription units. Using Dealerware, customers become more profitable: they reduce costs, create efficiencies, and elevate their customers’ experiences. Dealerware is managing tens-of-thousands of vehicles for hundreds of dealerships; working with 9 of the top 10 public auto groups and more than sixteen OEM brands. Prior to leading the Dealerware business, Russ co-founded Silvercar in 2011, and was the driving force behind the framework to elevate Silvercar as an industry disrupter. Prior to Silvercar, Lemmer served as an Associate and Venture Capital Investor in Austin Ventures and Consultant at Bain & Company where he mastered the art of identifying viable, disruptive business ideas and strategic problem solving.
Brendan Lewis
Operations/Training Manager, Affiliated Car Rental
Prior to starting with Affiliated Car Rental, L.C. (Sensible/Affordable/A-Sub RAC) Brendan was working in the car and truck rental industry, working for Budget and Thrifty in the local and airport markets. In addition, he gained valuable experience in the local and commercial truck rental space with Ryder Truck Rental. He joined what is now known as Affiliated Car Rental in 1996 as the Training and Operations Manager. In 2005, he was promoted to National Director of Training & Operations. He has been responsible for training and supporting new and existing dealers since that time.
Kristopher Luey
Business Development Manager, Vulog
Kristopher Luey, Vulog's International Business Development Manager, brings deep knowledge of the mobility industry to the ICRS stage. After spending 4 years with Zipcar North America and supporting the launch of three new markets, Kris now guides Vulog's new carshare and scootershare clients in building their own successful mobility brands. His presentations and panel discussions focus on key learnings for existing industry players and startups looking to enter the shared mobility space. With Vulog’s 30+ projects around the world, Kris comes armed with troves of insights on shared mobility success factors.
Brad Meyer
Consultant, JM&E-TCS, Inc.
Brad Meyer has 30 years’ experience in the car rental industry. He started in in 1985 with Agency RAC Minneapolis MN. Brad then spent 12 years as general manager running corporate stores for DTG and franchisees, including: Sacramento, San Francisco, Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and the Keys. He was a corporate employee for DTG in Tulsa as the Director of Franchise Operations, East coast. Brad then owned and operated his own franchises for Dollar, Thrifty and Hertz in five states and over 2,500 units beginning in 2000, eventually selling to Hertz in 2014. He is currently a consultant.
Doug Moore
Director-Rental Competitive Edge, Cathedral Consulting
Doug Moore is a rental industry veteran and Executive Vice President of SomervilleAuto who operates leasing companies in Toronto and Vancouver and owns Canada’s highest volume Hino truck dealership. He is also is the Director of Rental Competitive Edge (formally The Tennant Group) and Leasing Competitive Edge, a service of Cathedral Consulting moderating their study groups, working directly with CEOs of over 30 leasing and rental companies from across North America to improve their performance. He serves on the board of both NVLA and the Canadian Finance and Leasing Association.
Christina Morris
Pricing Manager, Independent
Christina Morris has been a pricing manager since 2005. She began her car rental journey in Phoenix circa 1997. She has experience in leisure, commercial, and government markets. She has had the privilege to work for corporations as well as independents and franchisees. The one constant theme in this industry is change and she has always been drawn to overcoming a challenge.
Patrick Muggler
Product and Partnerships Management, Continental Automotive
Patrick Muggler has worked in the Automotive, Semiconductor, and High-Tech industries in Strategic Planning, Marketing, Product Management, Business Development, and Engineering in both startups and Fortune 500 companies. Currently, Patrick is managing products and partnerships for the ITS business unit at Continental Automotive focused on enabling innovative shared transportation initiatives. Prior to Continental Patrick worked in roles such as CEO, Founder, CPO, Business Dev, and Product Management/Marketing in the Semiconductor, IoT, and Mobile industries. Patrick holds a dual Executive MBA from Columbia University and the University of California as well as a Master of Science and Bachelor of Science degrees from Arizona State University.
John Possumato
President & CEO, DriveItAway
John F. Possumato, is a noted consultant, author and speaker in the automotive industry, and is the CEO of Driveitaway Inc, the first “dealer focused shared mobility” company, which provides a turn-key cloud platform and driver app, to facilitate profitable Mobility as a Service business options for car dealers. Both a serial automotive industry entrepreneur and a franchise owner veteran, Possumato has over 30 years of car industry leadership experience, having founded three other ground-breaking car industry focused companies. Possumato holds a J.D. from the Law School at the University of Pennsylvania, and a B.S. from the Wharton School.
Alan Powell
Senior Vice President, Clutch Technologies
Alan Powell is Senior Vice President for Clutch Technologies. Clutch provides a software platform that lets the automotive industry build and manage vehicle subscription businesses. For Clutch, Powell has the important mission of capturing the mindshare of the automotive sector, including dealerships and OEMs nationwide, as the market embraces subscription technology. He is well versed at developing new industries and has been responsible for creating disruptive technologies for more than 20 years. Powell began his career in the mid-90s as co-founder of nFront, Inc., the pioneer of Internet banking and payments for businesses and consumers. Graduating from the Georgia Institute of Technology, he holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering.
Steven Puentes
VP of Operations, ACE Rent A Car - MCO
Steven Puentes was named Director of Operations for Priceless Car Rental MCO in March 2017 and was named Vice President of Operations for ACE Car Rental Orlando in July 2018. He is responsible for the company's operations, fleet optimization, pricing, and new business development. His extensive background has helped reach these companies to new heights in one of the biggest and busiest car rental markets in the world. Prior to joining Priceless Car Rental MCO and ACE Rent A Car Orlando, Puentes was in Procurement at Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. in Savannah, Georgia. He earned a BA in business management and a master’s degree (MBA) from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University (2013).
Leslie Pujo
Attorney, Plave Koch
Leslie Pujo is attorney with Plave Koch. Leslie’s practice focuses on two primary areas – vehicle rental law and franchise law. Leslie also oversees the editing and publication of the Federal and State Guide to Vehicle Rental Law. Leslie was in-house franchise counsel at a publicly-traded hotel franchising company and also was an associate at a large, Washington, D.C. law firm. In addition, Leslie previously served as an adjunct professor at the George Washington University Law School and the University of Maryland University College.
Duke Puniani
Director of Strategic Accounts Growth, Ridecell
Madhukar Puniani is the Director of Strategic Accounts Growth at Ridecell, the world’s leading platform to launch, operate and scale new car and ride sharing mobility services. He leads the customer success and account management teams that enable our customers to maximize asset utilization, accelerate consumer acquisition, increase operational efficiency and manage their risks as the expand and grow with their carsharing and ridesharing business. He has been at the forefront of new business development in various fields such as industrial automation, alternative fuels and fleet management. Prior to Ridecell he led the Gas Fuel Systems Business Unit at Parker Hannifin (NYSE PH) a global leader in motion and control. Before that he was the General Manager at Endress+Hauser Wetzer, North America. He holds an MS in Sensor Systems Technology and a Diploma in International Business from Karslruhe Institute of Technology, Germany.
Teresa Quale
CIC Executive Director, Sonoran National Insurance Group
Teresa Quale, CPCU, CIC is the Executive Director of Sonoran National Insurance Group, an agency specializing in providing innovative insurance products to the rental car industry. During her thirty-five years of insurance experience, she has developed creative marketing and underwriting solutions and since 2008, she has led the Sonoran team in being an expert in the rental field. Superior products from high quality insurers and exceptional client service have maximized the profitability for both Sonoran’s rental operator clients and the carriers alike.
Michael Rozin
President, Rozin Security Consulting LLC
Michael is the President of Rozin Security, Special Deputy at Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, and Course Director at the University of Minnesota. He created SIRA®—an advanced and proven behavior threat detection system. Michael worked at Mall of America focused on counterterrorism. Department of Homeland Security has recognized Michael's work as a leading approach to protecting soft targets. Michael served in Israel Defense Forces and later worked as a field protective agent for Ben-Gurion International Airport. Michael is a graduate of the Institute for Counter-Terrorism in Israel and the Advanced Security and Anti-Terrorism Academy under the Israel Security Agency.
Jim Schalberg
Owner & Principal, Jim Schalberg Auto Rental Solutions
Jim Schalberg is a 40 year veteran of the retail automotive industry and has been involved in the rental end of the industry since the late 70’s. Jim is the owner and principal of Jim Schalberg Auto Rental Solutions and Schalberg.com a provider of training, services and products designed specifically to help his clients “Sell More Rental Days”. Jim’s 2018 Profit Builders program includes regional meetings as well as Live Web Workshops and Private Coaching Sessions.
Bill Schweigart
Chief, Critical Industries Branch, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Department of Homeland Security
Mr. Bill Schweigart serves as the Critical Industries Branch Chief in Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. CISA’s mission is to lead the national effort to protect and enhance the resilience of the nation's physical and cyber infrastructure. Within CISA, the Critical Industries Branch is responsible for four sectors: Commercial Facilities, Critical Manufacturing, Chemical, and Emergency Services.
Jose Seas
General Manager, Green Motion Costa Rica
Jose Seas has over 12 years’ experience in the car rental industry in Costa Rica with a vast knowledge of the leisure as well as the corporate market in his country. He is currently the General Manager of Green Motion Costa Rica and previously was part of Avis Costa Rica as General Manager. Throughout his career he has been involved in the management of sales teams for maximization of opportunities through the application of sales techniques focusing on customer satisfaction. Prior to joining the car rental industry, he served as Operations & Projects Manager at Scotiabank de Costa Rica.
Jonathan Smoke
Chief Economist, Cox Automotive
Smoke leads Cox Automotive’s economic industry insights office. This office is tasked with leveraging data to expand Cox Automotive’s deep expertise in all aspects of the automotive industry. His focus is to connect the data from all of the company’s businesses and platforms and relate to economic, industry and demographic trends. For more than 22 years, Smoke has focused on translating data and trends into relevant, actionable insights for the industries that represent the biggest purchases that consumers make in their lifetimes: real estate and automotive. Prior to joining Cox Automotive, Smoke served as Realtor.com’s chief economist. Before that, he was the chief economist for Hanley Wood, a media and market intelligence company, and also served in a variety of roles at Beazer Homes, including senior vice president of strategy and innovation. Smoke was named one of “the 21 most interesting people in real estate” by Inman News and was the only economist to make the list in 2016. He is quoted in national news outlets and has published more than 150 original articles. Smoke blogs regularly and tweets using Twitter handle @SmokeonCars to share his industry insights.
Jan van den Ham
Operations Manager, Sunset Car Rental Aruba
Although a newcomer to the business, in no way a stranger to customer service! Having functioned in several sections of the leisure industry, and mostly being in direct contact with customers, I have gained a decade of unique experiences to share with front-end professionals and counter agents alike. Using leading-by-example methods, empathy techniques and setting the tone, customers are now leaving the car rental raving about the service and recommending your business to their friends and contacts. Assessing the customer as soon as they enter your business, gives the Counter Agent the opportunity to play-in to their needs and no-needs.
Carlos Vuillaume
Head of Supply Partnerships - AMERICAS, BookingGo - Rentalcars.com
Carlos Vuillaume is responsible for the commercial and strategic development of the car rental suppliers based in the Americas region. He started his car rental career at Avis France managing the Inbound business. He successively held various positions before he was given the responsibility for the development of the leisure business for Avis Budget Group Western Region (France, Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg). Carlos joined Rentalcars.com in 2016 to manage, along with a team based in Manchester, the Latin America region development. Prior to his car rental experience, Carlos held various positions in the automotive industry, banking and IT.
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