Hertz woos Ford executive who focuses on high-tech mobility

Auto-tech entrepreneur Ned Ryan, who created and sold two mobility-based tech businesses, has been named chief product development officer of Lee County-based rental car giant Hertz.

The appointment is effective May 9, according to a statement. Ryan, the release adds, “will oversee efforts to deliver connected products and technology to enhance the customer experience as Hertz assumes an increased role in the modern mobility ecosystem.”

In 2013 Ryan launched Breeze, the first flexible ride-share financing platform, which was purchased by Ford in 2016, the release states. He also founded Canvas, a vehicle subscription service purchased by Fair.com at the end of 2019. Ryan most recently served in a senior capacity at Ford, where he worked on new, digitally connected mobility businesses.

"I'm incredibly excited to join the Hertz team at an important time in the company's history," Ryan says in the release. "I look forward to building world-class products for our customers and partners and can't wait to get started."

Hertz CEO Stephen Scherr, in the release, calls Ryan “the ideal leader to advance our digital ambitions for the next chapter of Hertz.”

“Ned has a record of innovating, having served as founder and CEO of multiple startup businesses, including two successful ventures in the mobility sector and most recently at Ford,” Scherr adds. “Ned will work in close partnership with Tim Langley-Hawthorne, our chief information officer, and a growing engineering team to develop world-class technology solutions that position Hertz as a key player in the travel and auto industry."