Ronald L. Nelson is chairman and chief executive officer of Avis Budget Group, Inc., a leading global provider of vehicle rental services through its Avis and Budget brands, with 10,000 rental locations in approximately 175 countries around the world.
F. Robert Salerno was named Vice Chairman of Avis Budget Group in June 2010. Prior to this, Mr. Salerno served as President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Avis Budget Group, overseeing domestic and international operations for the Avis and Budget brands.
Mr. Salerno was named COO in October 2005 following the announcement by Cendant Corporation to separate into four independent, publicly traded companies, one of which is Avis Budget Group. From 2003 to 2005 he led Cendant's vehicle rental services division as Chief Executive Officer after serving as President and Chief Operating Officer of Avis Rent A Car from 1996 through 2002, and then as President and Chief Operating Officer of Cendant Car Rental Group from November 2002 to June 2003. He was appointed Director of Avis Budget Group following the Cendant separation in 2006, and has served on the Company's Board since then.
Mr. Salerno's entire business career has been in the vehicle rental industry, having served in a series of managerial and executive positions of increasing responsibility with Avis after starting his career with another car rental company. He was appointed vice president of Avis' eastern region in 1982 and vice president of zone development in that same year. He was promoted to Vice President of Field Operations in 1987, and in July 1990 was named Senior Vice President and General Manager of Avis. In 1995, he was named Executive Vice President of Operations.
He earned a bachelor's degree from Marquette University in 1972.
Mr. Cathcart brings extensive international business and executive management experience to the Company's Board of Directors as Chairman of Avis Europe plc since 2004, a member of the Board of Avis Europe since 1997 and Chief Executive of Avis Europe from 1983 through January 1, 1999. Prior to joining Avis Europe in 1980, Mr. Cathcart held various executive positions over a career spanning 14 years in the transportation industry. Mr. Cathcart is currently Chairman for Palletways Group Limited and Andrew Page Holdings, and a non-executive director of Justice Holdings Limited.
Mary Choksi has been a Director of Avis Budget Group since March 2007. Since 1987, Ms. Choksi has been a Founding Partner and Managing Director of Strategic Investment Group, where she is a key contributor to the development of Strategic's overall investment policy, with extensive expertise in non-U.S. investments. Ms. Choksi is also a Founding Partner and Managing Director of Strategic's sister company, Emerging Markets Management LLC. Strategic and Emerging Markets Management together manage approximately $35 billion in assets for institutional and private investors.
Leonard Coleman was a Director of Cendant Corporation from December 1997-2006 and Presiding Director at executive sessions of the Cendant Board since February 2003. Mr. Coleman was a Director of HFS from April 1997 until December 1997. From 1999 to December 2005, Mr. Coleman was a Senior Advisor to Major League Baseball. Mr. Coleman was President of The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs from 1994 to 1999, having previously served since 1992 as Executive Director, Market Development of Major League Baseball. Mr. Coleman is a Director of the following corporations which file reports pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act"): Omnicom Group Inc., H.J. Heinz Company, Aramark Corporation, Churchill Downs Inc. and Electronic Arts Inc.
Jack Hardy has been a Director of Avis Budget Group since April 2008. Until recently, Mr. Hardy was a partner of the law firm of O'Melveny & Myers for more than 25 years, where he served on the firm's compensation committee and as chair of the firm's capital markets practice. Mr. Hardy has represented publicly and privately owned corporations, investment managers and investment banks in connection with securitization transactions, investment funds, debt and equity financings, joint ventures and mergers and acquisitions. Mr. Hardy received a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia.
Lynn Krominga has been a director since October 2006. Ms. Krominga is an attorney and business executive. Since 1999, Ms. Krominga has been a consultant to private equity and venture capital firms and to start-up and early stage technology companies and served as chief executive officer of Fashion Wire Daily, Inc. in 2002. From 1981 to 1999, Ms. Krominga held various senior executive and legal offices at Revlon, including President, Licensing Division from 1992 to 1998. Prior to that, Ms. Krominga was an attorney at American Express Company and at Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton LLP. Ms. Krominga serves as Chairman of the Board, Member of the Audit Committee and Member of the Compensation Committee of Sunrise Senior Living, Inc., which files reports pursuant to the Exchange Act.
Mr. Mestre has been a Director of Avis Budget Group since July 2008. Mr. Mestre is Vice Chairman of Evercore Partners, an independent investment banking and investment management firm, and is responsible for the firm's corporate advisory business.
Prior to joining Evercore, Mr. Mestre served as Chairman of Citigroup's Global Investment Bank and, prior to that, he spent six years as head of investment banking and six years as co-head of mergers and acquisitions at Salomon Smith Barney. As head of investment banking, Mr. Mestre led Salomon's business integration efforts arising from the various mergers that led to the creation of Citigroup. Prior to joining Salomon in 1977, he practiced law at Cleary Gottlieb.
Mr. Mestre is a member of the executive committee and past Chairman of the Board of WNYC, New York's public radio stations, and he is Chairman of the Board of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, one of the nation's leading cancer, neuroscience and genetic research centers. Born in Havana, Mr. Mestre is a 1970 summa cum laude graduate of Yale and a 1973 cum laude graduate of Harvard Law School.
Mr. Sweeney has been a financial advisor and equity investor in several privately held enterprises since 1998. In 1997, Mr. Sweeney served in a senior financial and operating capacity for a joint venture between DreamWorks SKG and Pacific Data Images. From 1995 to 1996, Mr. Sweeney was the Chief Executive Officer and a Director of Vehicle Information Network, a database management and marketing company. From 1994 to 1995, Mr. Sweeney was the Chief Financial Officer and Principal of The Onyx Group, a shopping center development and management company. From 1968 to 1994, Mr. Sweeney served in various positions at The Times Mirror Company, the last eight years as Vice President, Finance. Mr. Sweeney serves on the board of the Payden & Rygel Investment Group, which files reports pursuant to the Exchange Act.
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