Enterprise Holdings has appointed Ryan Johnson as Managing Director for UK & Ireland. In this role he will head up the UK’s largest vehicle rental business, offering a wide range of mobility and transportation solutions.
He takes over from Khaled Shahbo, who has been Enterprise’s MD in the UK & Ireland since 2018 and was recently appointed Senior Vice President of European Operations.
Johnson was previously General Manager of Enterprise’s Southeast England group, the company’s largest UK region. While there he achieved numerous operational and growth milestones, including refocusing the business to deliver mobility solutions to support businesses, essential workers and frontline organisations throughout the pandemic.
Like many of Enterprise’s senior executives, Johnson joined the business as a Management Trainee. He began at a branch in Southern California in 1998, and he was appointed AVP of Rental for the South-Central California team in 2008.
He was later promoted to AVP and subsequently Vice President of Enterprise Car Share and Enterprise Car Club and Rideshare.
In 2017, Johnson became head of European Business Development based in St. Louis, supporting the company’s fast-growing European operations, before joining the UK business as General Manager of the Southeast England group in 2019.
He takes on the role of MD for Enterprise UK & Ireland at a time when the business is continuing to grow its core markets, especially support for business customers looking for employee travel and replacement mobility options as well as flexible commercial vehicle and logistics support.
In partnership with local authorities, technology experts and other transport providers, Enterprise continues to drive the evolution of rental as part of sustainable urban and community mobility.
The business currently has more than 480 branches in the UK & Ireland, in cities and neighborhoods close to where customers live and work. Johnson will oversee the continued expansion of this widespread transport network, with significant investment in new branches planned as well as the development of Enterprise Car Club in Ireland.
“Ryan’s grasp of the transport ecosystem and the importance of sustainable, affordable and flexible mobility to customers is exceptional,” Shahbo said. “He takes over our UK & Ireland operations at a time when many businesses are looking to reinvent themselves and redefine their travel needs.
“Like many of our senior team, he started in a branch and has risen through the ranks due to our employee-centric promote-from-within policy. He will bring the same experience and strategic insight to his new role that he has employed so successfully in growing our Southeast England group.”
“There could not be a more exciting time to lead Enterprise’s UK & Ireland businesses, as there are opportunities everywhere to help customers better understand their transport needs and how rental fits into the broader mobility picture,” Johnson added. “I’m really looking forward to working with our incredible employees around the UK & Ireland to make Enterprise an even better employer, supplier and partner.”
