United Rentals adds former Avis Budget CEO to board

Larry De Shon.

United Rentals has appointed former Avid Budget CEO Larry De Shon as an independent director.

De Shon’s career includes 40 years in transportation services, most recently as president and chief executive officer of Avis Budget Group until his retirement in 2019.

The non-executive role will draw on his track record as a former CEO of Avis Budget, with extensive experience of car rental in Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia and Australia.

Prior to that he held positions including president of Avis Budget Group International, among other positions, with oversight of the Avis, Budget, Zipcar, Payless, Maggiore and Apex brands in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

Before his time at Avis, he held executive roles over 28 years with UAL Corporation (now United Continental Holdings) where he led United Airlines’ global airport operations, with oversight of safety, customer service, logistics, product development and internal communications.

Michael Kneeland, Chairman of United Rentals, described De Shon as “an innovative thinker whose credentials are directly relevant to United Rentals’ strategy and business model — critical, service-intensive solutions delivered at scale, with diverse customer markets.”

De Shon’s directorship at United Rentals is effective immediately and expands the company’s board to 12 members, of which 10 are independent directors.

He is also a director on the boards of The Hartford Financial Services Group and Air New Zealand.