Rental car giant names new CFO, executive vice president

ESTERO — Eric Esper has been promoted to CFO and executive vice president of finance at Hertz Global Holdings Inc., succeeding outgoing CFO Jamere Jackson, who will remain with the company until Sept. 11. 

According to a press release, Esper joined rental car giant Hertz — which declared bankruptcy in May — in 2018 and served as senior vice president, controller and chief accounting officer prior to his recent promotion. From 2010 to 2018, he held a variety of financial leadership roles, including controller and vice president of brand finance, at Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. A CPA by training, Esper has also worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers LLC.

Hertz, in the release, also announced the promotion of Kenny Cheung to executive vice president of finance and chief operational finance and restructuring officer. Cheung joined Hertz in December 2018 and previously served as senior vice president of global financial planning and analysis and CFO of the firm’s North America operations. 

Esper and Cheung, the release states, will serve alongside longtime treasurer Scott Massengill. All three executives will report directly to Hertz President and CEO Paul Stone.

"The finance function is extremely important,” Stone states in the release. “This leadership structure provides us with deep expertise that will be especially valuable as we navigate the uncertainty around travel that the global pandemic has produced and as we work our way through the bankruptcy process. We're fortunate to have incredible bench strength on our Finance team. I've worked closely with Eric, Kenny and Scott for several years, and appreciate the value they add through the different perspectives they bring, while remaining tightly aligned on vision and strategy."

Hertz (NYSE: HTZ) reported $9.78 billion in gross revenue in 2019, up from 9.5 billion in 2018.