Global car rental giant Hertz has hired Piero Bussani as chief legal officer, replacing general counsel Katherine Lee Martin who left the business in August.
Bussani joins from US residential homebuilder Homebound, where he was also CLO. He brings more than 30 years of legal and business leadership experience across a range of sectors. At Hertz, he will be responsible for all global legal matters, as well as government affairs, sustainability and social impact. He will join the company on 27 October.
Estero, Florida-based Hertz has rental locations in 160 countries and also operates under the Dollar, Thrifty and Firefly brands.
Gil West, CEO of Hertz, said: “Piero brings strategic thinking and operational experience as we continue to transform Hertz. He brings a track record from complex, consumer-focused companies, from high-growth start-ups to large-scale enterprises, and understands how to lead legal functions that enable the business to move with speed and discipline. I’m confident he’ll be a strong partner to our leadership team as we execute on our strategic priorities.”
Bussani spent more than three and a half years at Homebound, having previously been CLO at Blackstone portfolio company Revantage – a corporate services business. Prior to that he was CLO at alternative asset manager Digital Bridge Holdings and at home leasing business Invitation Homes. He also had long spells as GC at LXR Luxury Resorts and Extended Stay Hotels.
He started his legal career in private practice at Arent Fox.
He said: “Hertz is an iconic brand with a clear path forward, and I’m excited to join the team at this pivotal time. The company is making the right moves to strengthen its position and drive sustainable growth, and, together with the strong legal team in place, I look forward to supporting that work as we help Hertz achieve its goals.”
Martin, meanwhile, left to join US homebuilder Lennar in August after just over two years at the company, having previously worked at Twitter as senior director for legal. She was promoted to GC at Hertz in May last year following the departure of Colleen Batcheler, who left to head up the legal team at food processing giant Hormel Foods.
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