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HERTZ GLOBAL HOLDINGS INC

For the period ended Dec 31, 2023. Filed Feb 12, 2024.

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A company's yearly report to the SEC, with audited financial statements. It is the fullest account a company gives of its business, its finances and the risks it sees.

FY2023 · Filed Feb 12, 2024

HTZ$1.50-8.0%Stored close · as of Nov 10, 2026

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Contents

ITEM 1. BUSINESS

OUR COMPANY

Hertz Holdings was incorporated in Delaware in 2015 to serve as the top-level holding company for Rental Car Intermediate Holdings, LLC, which wholly owns Hertz, Hertz Global's primary operating company. Hertz was incorporated in Delaware in 1967 and is a successor to corporations that have been engaged in the vehicle rental and leasing business since 1918.

We are engaged principally in the business of renting vehicles primarily through our Hertz, Dollar and Thrifty brands. As of December 31, 2023, we operated our vehicle rental business globally from approximately 11,400 company-operated and franchisee locations across approximately 160 countries and jurisdictions, including the U.S., Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, Canada, the Caribbean, Latin America, the Middle East and New Zealand. We are one of the largest worldwide vehicle rental companies and our Hertz brand name is among the most recognized globally. We have an extensive network of airport and off airport rental locations in the U.S. and major European markets.

Our Strategy

Our strategy is focused on excellence in execution of our rental operations, presenting distinct product offerings through each of our brands, building on our leadership in ride share and selling vehicles from the fleet directly to consumers. Our core assets, capabilities and partnerships underpin this strategy and are positioning us at the center of the modern mobility ecosystem. We intend to continue building on our brand strength, global network and global fleet management expertise, combining those efforts with new investments in technology, electrification, shared mobility and a digital-first customer experience. We believe our key fleet management capabilities will allow us to diversify and profitably grow in new areas of the mobility sector.

OUR BUSINESS SEGMENTS

The Company has identified two reportable segments, which are consistent with its operating segments, as follows:

Americas RAC - Rental of vehicles, as well as sales of vehicles and value-added services, in the U.S., Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean. We maintain a substantial network of company-operated rental locations in this segment and we have franchisees and partners that operate rental locations under our brands; and

International RAC - Rental of vehicles, as well as sales of vehicles and value-added services, in locations other than the U.S., Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean. We maintain a substantial network of company-operated rental locations, a majority of which are in Europe, and we have franchisees and partners that operate rental locations under our brands. As of December 31, 2023, 72% of our franchised locations were in markets covered by our International RAC segment.

In addition to the two reportable segments, we have corporate operations. We assess performance and allocate resources based upon the financial information for our operating segments.

For further financial information on our segments, see (i) Item 7, "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Results of Operations and Selected Operating Data by Segment" and (ii) Note 18, "Segment Information," in Part II, Item 8 of this 2023 Annual Report.

Americas RAC and International RAC Segments

Our Brands

Our Americas RAC and International RAC vehicle rental businesses are primarily operated through our three largest brands — Hertz, Dollar, and Thrifty. We offer multiple brands to provide customers a full range of rental services at different price points, levels of service, offerings and products. These brands generally maintain separate rental locations (e.g., separate airport counters), and use distinct reservation, marketing and other customer contact activities. We achieve synergies across our brands by, among other things, utilizing a single fleet and fleet management team and, where applicable, combined vehicle maintenance, vehicle cleaning and back office functions.

Our top tier brand, Hertz, is one of the most recognized brands in the world. It offers premium customer service, as evidenced by the numerous published best-in-class vehicle rental awards that the brand has been awarded over time, both in the U.S. and internationally. The Hertz brand's tagline of "Hertz. Let's Go!” expresses our commitment to quality, seamless travel and customer service. The Hertz brand provides customers with several innovative offerings, such as Hertz Gold Plus Rewards, Hertz Ultimate Choice and access to vehicles offered through our electric vehicle ("EV") fleet and specialty collections. The Hertz brand seeks to maintain its position as a premier provider of vehicle rental services through an intense focus on service, loyalty, quality and product innovation.

Our smart value brand, Dollar, is marketed as a smart choice for financially focused travelers looking for a dependable car at a price they can afford. The Dollar brand’s core focus is serving family, leisure and small business travelers through the airport vehicle rental channel. Dollar’s tagline of “We never forget whose dollar it is” expresses the brand’s mission of providing a reliable rental experience at a price that works. Dollar operates primarily through company-operated locations in the U.S. and Canada.

Our deep value brand, Thrifty, competes as a cost-conscious offering for travelers seeking to find a good deal. The Thrifty brand’s core focus is serving leisure travelers through the airport vehicle rental channel. Thrifty’s tagline of “The Absolute Best Car for Your Money” expresses the brand’s focus on being the rental brand that puts the customer in control of where to splurge and where to save. Thrifty operates primarily through company-operated locations in the U.S. and Canada.

Operations

Locations

We operate our brands at both airport and off airport locations that utilize common vehicle fleets, are supervised by common country, regional and local area management, use many common systems and rely on common vehicle maintenance and administrative centers. Additionally, our airport and off airport locations utilize common marketing activities and have many of the same customers. We regard both types of locations as aspects of a single, unitary, vehicle rental business. Off airport revenues comprised 34% and 32% of our worldwide vehicle rental revenues in 2023 and 2022, respectively. Our Americas RAC vehicle rental operations have company-operated locations primarily in the U.S. and Canada. Our International RAC vehicle rental operations have company-operated locations in Australia, Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Slovakia, Spain and the United Kingdom.

Airport

As of December 31, 2023, we had approximately 1,900 airport rental locations in our Americas RAC segment and approximately 1,500 airport rental locations in our International RAC segment. We believe that our extensive global network of locations contributes to our success by providing consistency of our service, cost control, Vehicle Utilization, competitive pricing and our ability to offer one-way rentals.

For our airport company-operated rental locations, we are dependent on, and have obtained, concessions or similar leasing agreements or arrangements, that grant us the right to conduct a vehicle rental business at the respective airport. Our concessions were obtained from the airports' operators, which are typically governmental bodies or authorities, following either negotiation or bidding for the right to operate a vehicle rental business. The terms of an airport concession typically require us to pay the airport's operator concession fees based upon a specified percentage of the revenues we generate at the airport, subject to a minimum annual guarantee. Under most concessions, we are required to pay fixed rent for terminal counters or other leased properties and facilities. Most concessions are for a fixed length of time, while others create operating rights and payment obligations that are terminable at any time.

The terms of our concessions typically do not forbid us from seeking, and in most instances actually explicitly permit us to seek, reimbursement from customers for concession fees we pay; however, in certain jurisdictions the law limits or forbids our ability to do so. Where we are permitted to seek such reimbursement, it is our general practice to do so. Certain of our concession agreements may require the consent of the airport's operator in connection with material changes in our ownership. A growing number of larger airports are building, or assessing the feasibility of, consolidated airport vehicle rental facilities to alleviate congestion at the airport. These consolidated rental facilities provide a more common customer experience and may eliminate certain competitive advantages among the brands as competitors operate out of one centralized facility for both customer rental and return operations, share consolidated busing operations and maintain image standards mandated by the airports. The costs associated with the development of these consolidated facilities are typically funded through the collection of customer facility charges, which are required to be collected by rental car companies from their customers.

Off Airport

As of December 31, 2023, we had approximately 3,300 off airport locations in our Americas RAC segment and approximately 4,700 off airport rental locations in our International RAC segment. Our off airport rental customers include people who prefer to rent vehicles closer to their home or place of work for business or leisure purposes, as well as those needing to travel to or from airports. Our off airport customers also include people who have been referred by, or whose rental costs are being wholly or partially reimbursed by, insurance companies following accidents in which their vehicles were damaged, those expecting to lease vehicles that are not yet available from their leasing companies and replacement renters. In addition, our off airport customers include drivers for our Ride Share Partners, which is further described in “Ride Share Rentals” below.

When compared to our airport rental locations, an off airport rental location typically uses a smaller rental facility with fewer employees, conducts pick-up and delivery services and serves replacement renters using specialized systems and processes. On average, off airport locations generate fewer transactions per period than airport locations.

Our off airport locations offer the following benefits:

Providing customers a more convenient and geographically extensive network of rental locations, thereby creating revenue opportunities from replacement renters, non-airline travel renters and airline travelers with local rental needs;

Providing us a more balanced revenue mix by reducing our reliance on air travel and therefore reducing our exposure to external events that may disrupt airline travel trends;

Contributing to higher Vehicle Utilization as a result of the longer average rental periods associated with off airport business, compared to those of airport rentals;

Creating efficiencies in vehicle and labor demand planning, as replacement rental volume is less seasonal than that of other business and leisure rentals; and

Creating cross-selling opportunities for us to promote off airport rentals among frequent airport Hertz Gold Plus Rewards program renters and, conversely, to promote airport rentals to off airport renters.

Customers and Business Mix

We conduct various sales and marketing programs to attract and retain customers. Our sales force calls on companies, government agencies and other organizations whose employees and associates need to rent vehicles for business or official purposes. Our sales force also calls on organizations such as insurance and leasing companies, automobile repair companies and vehicle dealers whose customers need replacement rentals. In addition, our sales force works with membership associations, tour operators, travel companies, ride share companies and other groups whose members, participants and customers rent vehicles for either business or leisure purposes.

We also market directly to individual renters. We advertise our vehicle rental offerings through traditional media channels, partner publications (e.g., affinity clubs, airline and hotel partners) and direct mail. We also rely on digital marketing and, for the Hertz brand, we are increasingly seeking to expand access to and use of our Hertz mobile app.

In addition to advertising, we conduct other forms of marketing and promotion, including travel industry business partnerships and press and public relations activities.

We categorize our vehicle rental business based on the general purpose (business or leisure) and type of location (airport or off airport) from which customers rent from us. The following charts set forth the percentages of rental revenues and rental transactions in our Americas RAC and International RAC segments based on these categories.

VEHICLE RENTALS BY CUSTOMER

Year Ended December 31, 2023

Business

Leisure

Business

Leisure

Customers who rent from us for “business” purposes include those who require vehicles in connection with commercial activities, including drivers for our Ride Share Partners, the activities of governments and other organizations or for temporary vehicle replacement purposes (i.e., replacement rentals). Most business customers rent vehicles from us on terms that we have negotiated with their employers or other entities with which they are associated, and those terms can differ from the terms on which we rent vehicles to the general public.

Customers who rent from us for “leisure” purposes include individual travelers booking vacation rentals and people renting to meet other personal needs (other than replacement rentals). Leisure rentals are generally longer in duration and generate more revenue per transaction than business rentals. Leisure rentals also include rentals by customers of U.S. and international tour operators, which are usually a part of tour packages that can include air travel and hotel accommodations.

VEHICLE RENTALS BY LOCATION

Year Ended December 31, 2023

Airport

Off airport

Airport

Off airport

Demand for airport rentals is generally correlated with airline travel patterns, and transaction volumes generally follow global airline passenger traffic ("enplanement") and Gross Domestic Product ("GDP") trends. Customers often make reservations for airport rentals when they book their flight plans, which make our relationships with travel agents, associations and other participants in the broader travel industry (e.g., airlines and hotels) a key competitive strategy in generating consistent and recurring revenue streams.

Off airport rentals include insurance replacements, and we have agreements with the referring insurers establishing the relevant rental terms, including the arrangements made for billing and payment.

Customer Service Offerings

We offer customers a wide range of services to differentiate ourselves from the competition and increase and diversify our revenue.

Hertz Gold Plus Rewards Program

At our major airport rental locations and certain smaller airport and off airport locations, customers participating in our Hertz Gold Plus Rewards program are able to rent vehicles in an expedited manner. Participants in our Hertz Gold Plus Rewards program often bypass the rental counter entirely and proceed directly to their vehicle upon arrival at our facility. They are also eligible to earn Hertz Gold Plus Rewards points that may be redeemed for free rental days or converted to awards of other companies' loyalty programs.

Hertz's Gold Plus Rewards program offers three elite membership tiers that provide more frequent renters the opportunity to earn additional reward points and vehicle upgrades. When Hertz Gold Plus Rewards members make a reservation for a midsize car or above, they have access to exclusive vehicles based on their membership tier via our Hertz Ultimate Choice program which allows customers to choose their vehicle from a range of makes, models and colors available within the zone indicated on their reservation. Alternatively, they may upgrade at the pick-up location for a fee by choosing a vehicle from a premium upgrade zone. As of December 31, 2023, the Hertz Ultimate Choice program was offered at approximately 60 U.S. and Canada airport locations.

For the year ended December 31, 2023, rentals by Hertz Gold Plus Rewards members accounted for approximately 33% of our worldwide rental transactions. We believe the Hertz Gold Plus Rewards program provides us with a significant competitive advantage, particularly among frequent travelers, and we have targeted such travelers for participation in the program.

Other Customer Service Offerings

We offer electronic rental agreements and returns for our Hertz, Dollar and Thrifty U.S. customers. Simplifying the rental transaction saves customers time and provides greater convenience through access to digitally available rental contracts. We also offer Mobile Gold Alerts, a service available to participating Hertz Gold Plus Rewards customers, through which a text message and/or email with the vehicle information and location is sent approximately 30 minutes prior to arrival, providing a renter the option to choose another vehicle. We offer Hertz e-Return, which allows customers to drop off their vehicle and go without the need to visit the rental counter. Customers can also use cashless toll lanes with our PlatePass offering where the license plate acts as a transponder.

Ride Share Rentals

We have partnered with certain ride share companies to offer vehicle rentals to their drivers in select cities in North America and Europe. This program enables us to rent vehicles on a longer-term basis than traditional business rentals and is a component of our strategy to be an active participant in the future of mobility. Using vehicles for ride share rentals also results in an increased supply of higher mileage, and thus more economical, used vehicles for our vehicle disposition programs discussed below.

Drivers for our Ride Share Partners reserve vehicles online through Ride Share Partner websites and applications and pick up vehicles from select locations. Ride share drivers can extend the vehicle rental on a recurring basis.

Rates, Fees and Value-Added Services

We rent a wide variety of makes and models of vehicles. We rent vehicles on an hourly (in select international markets), daily, weekend, weekly, monthly or multi-month basis, with rental charges computed on a limited or unlimited mileage rate, or on a time rate plus a mileage charge. Our rates vary by brand and at different locations depending on local market conditions and other competitive and cost factors, such as vehicle supply and overall demand. While vehicles are usually returned to the locations from which they are rented, we also allow one-way rentals from and to certain locations.

We also generate revenues from reimbursements by customers of airport concession fees, unless the law limits or forbids us from doing so, and of vehicle licensing costs, fueling and electric charging, and charges for value-added services such as supplemental equipment (e.g., child seats and ski racks), loss or collision damage waiver, theft protection, liability and personal accident/effects insurance coverage, premium emergency roadside service and satellite radio.

Reservations

We price and accept reservations for our vehicles through each of our brands. Reservations are generally for a class of vehicles, such as compact, midsize or sport utility vehicle. Our introduction of EVs to the fleet in certain cities has enabled us to also provide the opportunity for customers in those locations to reserve an EV versus an internal-combustion engine vehicle. Additionally, certain reservations within our EV fleet can be made for specific makes and models.

We distribute pricing and content and accept reservations through multiple channels. Direct reservations are accepted at Hertz.com, Dollar.com and Thrifty.com, each of which has global and local versions in multiple languages. Hertz.com offers a range of products, prices and additional services, as well as Hertz Gold Plus Rewards benefits, serving both company-operated and franchise locations. In addition to our websites, direct reservations are enabled via our Hertz and Dollar smartphone apps, which include additional connected products and services.

Customers may also seek reservations via travel agents or third-party travel websites. In many of those cases, the travel agent or website utilizes an Application Programming Interface connection to Hertz or a third-party operated computerized reservation system, also known as a Global Distribution System, to contact us and make the reservation.

In our major markets, including the U.S. and all other countries with company-operated locations, customers may also reserve vehicles for rental from us and our franchisees through local, national or toll-free telephone calls to our reservations center, directly through our rental locations or, in the case of insurance replacement rentals, through proprietary automated systems serving the insurance industry.

Franchisees

In certain U.S. and international markets, we have found it efficient to issue licenses under franchise arrangements to independent operators who are engaged in the vehicle rental business. Franchisees rent vehicles that they own or lease and may provide related services to customers, primarily under our Hertz, Dollar or Thrifty brands. In many markets, franchisees operate franchises for multiple brands.

Franchisees generally pay an initial license fee, royalties based on a percentage of their revenues as well as other fees, and in return are provided the use of the applicable brand name, certain operational support and training, reservations through our reservation channels, including access to reservations from corporate contracts and other services. Additionally, in countries with both corporate and franchised operations, franchisees may utilize our vehicles, and we may utilize their vehicles, to support one-way business within the country. Franchisee arrangements enable us to offer expanded national and international service and a broader one-way rental program. In addition to vehicle rental, certain international franchisees engage in vehicle leasing and the rental of chauffeur-driven vehicles, camper vans and motorcycles.

The ability to transfer a franchisee license is limited and requires our consent. Franchise licenses are generally terminable by us only for cause or after a fixed term. All of these agreements also include a company right of first refusal should a franchisee receive a bona fide offer to sell the license or its business. Franchisees in the U.S. typically may terminate without cause only on prior notice, generally 180 days. In certain international jurisdictions, franchisees typically do not have early termination rights absent cause. We continue to issue new licenses and, from time to time, re-acquire franchised businesses or sell company-operated locations to franchisees.

Franchise operations, including fleet acquisition, are financed independently by the franchisees and we do not have an investment interest in the franchisees. Fees from franchisees, including initial franchise fees, generally support a portion of our brand awareness program costs, reservations system, sales and marketing efforts and certain other services and comprised approximately 2% of our worldwide vehicle rental revenues for the year ended December 31, 2023.

Seasonality

Our vehicle rental operations are a seasonal business with decreased levels of business in the winter months and heightened activity during the spring and summer months ("our peak season") for the majority of countries where we generate our revenues. To accommodate increased demand, we typically increase our available fleet and staff in the second and third quarters of the year to add a significant number of part-time and seasonal workers. A number of our other major operating costs, including airport concession fees, commissions and vehicle liability expenses, are directly related to revenues or transaction volumes and thus also increase in the second and third quarters. Certain operating expenses, including real estate taxes, rent, insurance, utilities, facility maintenance and other facility-related expenses, the costs of operating our information technology systems and minimum staffing costs, remain fixed and therefore do not vary based on seasonal demand.

The following chart presents the proportionate contribution of each quarter to full year revenue for each of the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021. As discussed above, our peak season historically has been the second and third quarters of the year.

Fleet

During the year ended December 31, 2023, we operated a peak rental fleet in our Americas RAC and International RAC segments of approximately 467,000 vehicles and 124,600 vehicles, respectively. Purchases of vehicles are financed by active and ongoing global borrowing programs and through cash from operations. The vehicles purchased are either program vehicles or non-program vehicles. We periodically review the efficiencies of an optimal mix between program and non-program vehicles in our fleet and adjust the ratio of program and non-program vehicles as needed based on availability, vehicle economics and contract negotiations.

During the year ended December 31, 2023, our approximate average holding period for rental vehicles sold was 20 months in our Americas RAC segment, down 20% compared to 2022 due in part to our decision to sell newer vehicles instead of older vehicles due to residual values. In our International RAC segment, our approximate average holding period for rental vehicles sold was 16 months, down 11% compared to 2022 due in part to increased program vehicle dispositions.

Our fleet composition is as follows:

Fleet Composition by Vehicle Manufacturer*

As of December 31, 2023

Americas RAC International RAC*

  • Vehicle manufacturers Daimler AG (Mercedes Benz and Smart), Renault, Mitsubishi, Mazda, Volvo and Rover Group together comprise another 15% of the International RAC fleet and are included as "Other" in the overall and International RAC charts above.

We maintain vehicle maintenance centers which provide maintenance for our fleet, many of which include sophisticated vehicle diagnostic and repair equipment, and are accepted by automobile manufacturers, as eligible, to perform warranty work. Collision damage and major repairs are generally performed by independent contractors.

Vehicle Repurchase Programs

Program vehicles are purchased under repurchase or guaranteed depreciation programs with vehicle manufacturers wherein the manufacturers agree to repurchase vehicles at a specified price or guarantee the depreciation rate on the vehicles during established repurchase periods, subject to, among other things, certain vehicle condition, mileage and holding period requirements. Repurchase prices under repurchase programs are based on the original cost less a set daily depreciation amount. These repurchase and guaranteed depreciation programs limit our residual risk with respect to vehicles purchased under the programs and allow us to reduce the variability of depreciation expense for each vehicle, however, typically the acquisition cost is higher. Program vehicles generally provide us with flexibility to increase or reduce the size of our fleet based on market demand. When we increase the percentage of program vehicles, the average age of our fleet decreases since the average holding period for program vehicles is shorter than for non-program vehicles.

Program vehicles as a percentage of all vehicles purchased within our Americas RAC and International RAC segments during the last three fiscal years were as follows:

Other Vehicle Disposition Channels

During the year ended December 31, 2023, the vehicles sold in our U.S. and international vehicle rental operations that were not repurchased by manufacturers were sold through a variety of channels, including dealer direct wholesale channels, direct sales to third parties, retail channels and auction. We use multiple channels to provide greater flexibility and the opportunity for improved returns.

Our company-operated retail sales channel, Hertz Car Sales, consists of a network of company-operated vehicle sales locations throughout the U.S. dedicated to the sale of vehicles from our rental fleet. Vehicles disposed of through our retail outlets provide for ancillary vehicle sales revenue, such as warranty, financing and aftermarket products.

Competition

Competition among vehicle rental industry participants is intense and is primarily based on vehicle availability and quality, price, service, reliability, rental locations, product innovation and competition from online travel agents and vehicle rental brokers. We believe that the strength of the Hertz, Dollar and Thrifty brands, our extensive worldwide network of vehicle rental operations and our commitment to innovation, including our EV initiatives, provide us with a strong competitive advantage. Our principal vehicle rental industry competitors are Avis Budget Group, Inc., which currently operates the Avis, Budget, ZipCar and Payless brands; Enterprise Holdings, which operates the Enterprise

Rent-A-Car Company, National Car Rental and Alamo Rent A Car brands; and SIXT. We also compete with local and regional vehicle rental companies, ride share companies and peer-to-peer car sharing marketplaces.

Geographic Markets

U.S.

The U.S. represented approximately $38.4 billion in estimated annual industry revenues for 2023. The average number of vehicles in the U.S. vehicle rental industry in 2023 was approximately two million vehicles. U.S. industry Revenue Per Unit Per Month in 2023 was approximately $1,412.

Europe

Europe represented approximately $19.3 billion in estimated annual industry revenues for 2023. Europe has generally demonstrated a lower historical reliance on air travel because the European off airport vehicle rental market has been significantly more developed than in the U.S. Within Europe, the largest markets in which we do business are France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom. Throughout Europe, we do business through company-operated rental locations and through our franchisees or partners.

Asia Pacific

Asia Pacific represented approximately $21.7 billion in estimated annual industry revenues for 2023. Within this region, the largest markets in which we do business are Australia, China, Japan and New Zealand. In each of these countries we do business through company-operated rental locations and through our franchisees or partners.

Middle East and Africa

The Middle East and Africa represented approximately $3.5 billion in estimated annual industry revenues for 2023. Within these regions, the largest markets in which we do business are South Africa and the United Arab Emirates. In each of these countries we do business through our franchisees.

Latin America

Latin America represented approximately $5.1 billion in estimated annual industry revenues for 2023. Within Latin America, the largest markets in which we do business are Argentina, Mexico and Panama. In each of these countries, we do business through our franchisees or partners.

EMPLOYEES AND HUMAN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT

As of December 31, 2023, we employed approximately 27,000 persons, consisting of approximately 21,000 persons in the U.S. and approximately 6,000 persons internationally.

Certain employees outside the U.S. are covered by a wide variety of union contracts and governmental regulations affecting, among other things, compensation, job retention rights and pensions. Labor contracts covering the terms of employment of 26% of our workforce in the U.S. (including those in the U.S. territories) are presently in effect with local unions, affiliated primarily with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and other plans. Labor contracts covering 45% of these employees will expire during 2024. We have had no material work stoppage as a result of labor problems during the last ten years, and we believe our labor relations to be good.

In addition to the employees referred to above, we engage outside services, as is customary in the industry, principally for the non-revenue movement of rental vehicles between rental locations.

Human Capital Management

Our people are our greatest asset. We believe that to continue to evolve as a business, and achieve our strategic goals, we must attract and retain the right talent. We therefore strive to have a constant focus on, and remain attentive to, matters concerning our employees.

Our human capital management strategy begins with our Board and senior management. Our Board and Board committees periodically review our employee programs and initiatives, and oversee our approach to attracting, retaining and developing talent. Our Board reviews key senior management compensation and benefit programs. Senior management uses various tools to strive to ensure its human capital management strategies are delivering intended results, such as seeking feedback from our employees.

Our focus on talent retention requires that we invest in our employees' professional development as well as their physical, emotional and financial well-being. We regularly assess our benefits and program offerings to provide a compelling and comprehensive portfolio, which currently includes the following in the U.S. (specific offerings vary for employees represented by labor unions):

competitive salaries and wages;

retirement savings with a 401(k) Plan and an employer match, up to a certain percentage;

comprehensive health insurance, including medical, dental and vision plans for employees and their dependents;

employer provided life insurance;

no-cost employee assistance program, providing confidential counseling to help employees and their families dealing with hardships;

paid parental leave;

adoption benefits;

free health screenings and programs for tobacco cessation, weight management and wellness coaching;

employee referral incentive program;

employee and family rental car and Hertz Car Sales discounts;

employee training, professional development, education and tuition aid programs;

employee relief fund that provides immediate, short-term financial assistance to employees through employee contributions and company match to assist employees dealing with natural disasters;

training and development opportunities; and

employee resource groups.

Outside of the U.S., we are committed to offering similar comprehensive programs that leverage the best of global benefits tailored by country to reflect local practices and culture. We evaluate our total benefits and programs annually and use feedback from employees to make thoughtful changes to ensure our programs continue to meet the needs of employees.

We are also committed to an inclusive workplace around the globe that champions equality, values different backgrounds and celebrates individuality. We believe the varied perspectives, experiences, skills and talents of our employees represent a significant part of our culture, as well as our success and reputation as a company.

As a global business, we have a firm commitment to equal opportunity, non-discrimination and anti-harassment. In addition, we strive to adhere to all relevant laws and mandatory reporting requirements. We are proud to have a diverse workforce around the world, and are committed to a journey that gives growth and opportunities throughout our organization. We embrace and encourage our employees' differences in age, race, religion, disability, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation and other characteristics that make our employees unique.

At every level, we are committed to developing policies, practices and ways of working that support diversity and inclusion and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels respected and heard.

CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY

We recognize our influence and are committed to do the right thing, the right way, every time for our employees and customers, as well as our communities and our planet. Delivering on this responsibility is a never-ending journey and one that we are proud to be on. We are committed to managing our businesses ethically and responsibly as we believe doing so enables us to realize the continuous improvement, sustainable innovation and enhanced business performance that are critical to our success.

The Environment

We are committed to understanding and addressing the impact of our operations and broader value chain on the environment and our communities through sustainable business practices, strategic decision-making, community partnerships and smart investments in future technologies, and to be a leader in the modern mobility landscape.

Climate Performance

We recognize the importance of reducing our greenhouse gas emissions as both a climate and business imperative. We are committed to our goal of being at the center of the modern mobility ecosystem and believe our investments in EVs and charging infrastructure will contribute towards our goal of enhancing the sustainability of our operations.

Fuel Efficient Fleet

As a critical connector between drivers, vehicles and technology, we have entered into relationships around EVs and technology. We offer a diverse fleet of EVs through agreements with a variety of EV manufactures, such as Tesla, Polestar and General Motors. We are also investing in EV infrastructure across our global operations by installing charging stations throughout our network to power our fleet and support customer adoption of EVs and supporting EV infrastructure expansion in several of the communities in which we operate through initiatives such as Hertz Electrifies and collaborations such as bp pulse. We have partnerships with certain ride share companies to provide EVs to drivers using their networks.

Water

We work to integrate environmental sustainability across our operations, including in our car washes. Car washes are the primary source of our water use, and we are focused on minimizing our demand on municipal water systems. We are committed to reviewing our procedures to prioritize water conservation from system efficiency upgrades in water stressed regions where we operate.

Waste Reduction and Recycling

Resource conservation and waste reduction is a component of our commitment to environmental sustainability across our global footprint. Recycling efforts include, but are not limited to, recycling used oils and solvents, tires, batteries, information technology equipment and general mixed materials.

Facilities and Construction

We seek to maximize energy and water efficiency at our facilities and rely on renewable energy at a number of locations. We incorporate sustainable design and construction practices based on Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design ("LEED") standards. LEED is administered by the U.S. Green Building Council and is the most widely used and respected green building rating system. Our world headquarters in Estero, Florida is LEED Gold®certified, and we have locations in St. Louis, Charlotte, Denver, Dulles and Newark airports that are also LEED certified. In addition to LEED, ISO 14001 sets environmental management standards and certifies facilities to those standards, while ISO 45001 addresses employee safety and workplace risks. Our Hertz European Service Center in Dublin, Ireland has achieved and maintains ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 certifications. Both LEED and ISO standards enhance the health and comfort of building occupants, improve overall building performance and deliver cost savings.

In addition to incorporating leading standards into our buildings, we also strive to include on-site renewables consisting of solar photovoltaic systems at certain locations, which decreases our carbon footprint while lowering utility costs.

Our People and Communities

Our employees help drive our progress, innovation and success. We strive to empower our employees so they can build trust with our customers and the communities we serve around the world. As discussed above, attracting and retaining top talent is more than a measure of our business success; it is a measure of who we are and what we value. We also are committed to making a positive difference in the communities where we work, live and serve through our charitable giving and volunteer programs.

Our Business

Governance

We are committed to ensuring appropriate oversight and accountability of our corporate responsibility initiatives and our Board and senior management are directly engaged in this effort. Our Board's Governance Committee oversees this work and receives regular reports from management on our corporate responsibility efforts. In 2023, we launched a sustainability disclosure committee, comprised of senior leaders from a cross-functional spectrum, which is responsible for overseeing our sustainability-focused disclosure processes, resources and results.

Ethics

We seek to operate in compliance with all applicable laws and maintaining the highest standards of ethical conduct. Integrity is essential to every aspect of our business, both in policy and practice. Our Standards of Business Conduct outline specific practices to identify acceptable and unacceptable behavior for employees, officers and directors and helps promote our culture of acting ethically and doing the right thing in our operations around the world. Our Standards of Business Conduct also outline our policies and guidelines to help our employees navigate a variety of situations in relationships with each other and our stakeholders.

Supplier Diversity

We recognize that supporting diversity goes beyond our internal policies and practices, and we seek to build sustainable relationships with suppliers who integrate diversity into their own hiring processes and supply chain. Through our Supplier Diversity Program, we are committed to the equal and fair treatment of all suppliers. We aim to provide minority-owned, woman-owned and other socially or economically disadvantaged small businesses who perform at high levels the opportunity to compete to deliver products and services that support our brands.

As a long-standing member of the National Minority Supplier Development Council and the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, we actively seek to do business with suppliers who are certified by such councils that recognize women and minorities.

Through these efforts, we seek to emphasize a supplier representation that reflects the customers and communities we serve. We believe that leveraging the global diversity of our workforce and supplier relations will enable us to address the local needs of the communities in which we live and work around the world.

INSURANCE AND RISK MANAGEMENT

In addition to managing risk associated with our business, rental car operations introduce several industry-specific generally insurable risks:

legal liability arising from the operation of our vehicles (i.e., vehicle liability);

legal liability to members of the public and employees from other causes (i.e., general liability/workers' compensation); and

risk of property damage and/or business interruption and/or increased cost of operating as a consequence of property damage.

In many cases we self-insure for these risks or insure risks through wholly-owned insurance subsidiaries. We mitigate our exposure to large liability losses by maintaining excess insurance coverage, subject to deductibles and caps, through unaffiliated carriers. For certain of our international operations, we maintain some liability insurance coverage with unaffiliated carriers.

In addition, we offer customers optional liability insurance and other products providing insurance coverage, which create additional risk exposures for us. Our risk of property damage is also increased when we waive the provisions in our rental contracts that hold a renter responsible for damage or loss under an optional loss or damage waiver that we offer. We bear these and other risks, except to the extent the risks are transferred through insurance or contractual arrangements.

Third-Party Liability

In our U.S. operations, we are required by applicable financial responsibility laws to maintain insurance against legal liability for bodily injury, death or property damage to third parties arising from the operation of our vehicles, sometimes called “vehicle liability,” in stipulated amounts. In most jurisdictions, we satisfy those requirements by qualifying as a self-insurer, a process that typically involves governmental filings and demonstration of financial responsibility, which sometimes requires the posting of a bond or other security. In the remaining jurisdictions, we obtain an insurance policy from an unaffiliated insurance carrier and indemnify the carrier for any amounts paid under the policy. The regulatory method for protecting against such vehicle liability should be considered in the context of the Graves Amendment, as we generally bear limited economic responsibility for U.S. vehicle liability attributable to the negligence of our drivers, except to the extent that we successfully transfer such liability to others through insurance or contractual arrangements.

For our vehicle rental operations in Europe, we have established a wholly-owned insurance subsidiary, Probus Insurance Company Europe DAC (“Probus”), a direct writer of insurance domiciled in Ireland. In certain European countries with company-operated locations, we have purchased from Probus the vehicle liability insurance required by law. In other European countries, this coverage is purchased from unaffiliated carriers. Accordingly, as with our U.S. operations, we bear economic responsibility for vehicle liability in our European vehicle rental operations, except to the extent that we transfer such liability to others through insurance or contractual arrangements. For our international operations outside of Europe, we maintain some form of vehicle liability insurance coverage with unaffiliated carriers. The nature of such coverage and our economic responsibility for covered losses varies considerably. Nonetheless, we believe the amounts and nature of the coverage we obtain is adequate in light of the respective potential hazards.

In our U.S. and international operations, periodically in the course of our business, we become legally responsible to members of the public for bodily injury, death or property damage arising from causes other than the operation of our vehicles, sometimes known as “general liability.” As with vehicle liability, we bear economic responsibility for general liability losses, except to the extent we transfer such losses to others through insurance or contractual arrangements. In addition, to mitigate these exposures, we maintain excess liability insurance coverage with unaffiliated insurance carriers.

In our U.S. vehicle rental operations, we offer an optional liability insurance product, Liability Insurance Supplement (“LIS”), that provides vehicle liability insurance coverage substantially higher than state minimum levels to the renter and other authorized operators of a rented vehicle. LIS coverage is primarily provided under excess liability insurance policies issued by an unaffiliated insurance carrier, the risks under which are reinsured with a wholly-owned subsidiary, HIRE Bermuda Limited. Our offering of LIS coverage in our U.S. vehicle rental operations is conducted pursuant to limited licenses or exemptions under state laws governing the licensing of insurance producers.

Provisions on our books for self-insured public liability and property damage vehicle liability losses are made by charges to expense based upon evaluations of estimated ultimate liabilities on reported and unreported claims.

Damage to Our Property

We bear the risk of damage to our property, unless such risk is transferred through insurance or contractual arrangements.

To mitigate our risk of large, single-site property damage losses globally, we maintain property insurance with unaffiliated insurance carriers in such amounts as we deem adequate in light of the respective hazards, where such insurance is available on commercially reasonable terms.

Our rental contracts typically provide that the renter is responsible for damage to or loss (including loss through theft) of rented vehicles. We generally offer an optional rental product, known in various countries as “loss damage waiver,” “collision damage waiver” or “theft protection,” under which we waive or limit our right to make a claim for such damage or loss.

Collision damage costs and the costs of stolen or unaccounted-for vehicles, along with other damage to our property, are charged to expense as incurred.

Other Risks

To manage other risks associated with our businesses, or to comply with applicable law, we purchase other types of insurance carried by business organizations, such as workers' compensation and employer's liability, commercial crime and fidelity, performance bonds, directors' and officers' liability insurance, terrorism insurance and cybersecurity insurance, all from unaffiliated insurance companies in amounts we deem to be adequate in light of the respective hazards, where such coverage is obtainable on commercially reasonable terms.

GOVERNMENT REGULATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL MATTERS

We are subject to numerous types of governmental controls, including those relating to prices and advertising, privacy and data protection, currency controls, labor matters, credit and charge card operations, insurance, environmental protection, used vehicle sales and licensing.

Dealings with Customers

In the U.S., vehicle rental transactions are generally subject to Article 2A of the Uniform Commercial Code, which governs leases of tangible personal property. Vehicle rental is also specifically regulated in more than half of the states of the U.S. and many other international jurisdictions. The subjects of these regulations include the methods by which we advertise, the methods used to quote and charge prices, the consequences of failing to honor reservations, the terms on which we deal with vehicle loss or damage (including the protections we provide to renters purchasing loss or damage waivers) and the terms and method of sale of the optional insurance coverage that we offer. Some states (including California, Nevada and New York) regulate the price at which we may sell loss or damage waivers, and many state insurance regulators have authority over the prices and terms of the optional insurance coverage we offer. See “Insurance and Risk Management—Damage to Our Property” above for further discussion regarding the loss or damage waivers and optional insurance coverages that we offer renters. In addition, various consumer protection laws and regulations may generally apply to our business operations. Internationally, regulatory regimes vary greatly by jurisdiction and include increasing scrutiny from consumer law regulators in Europe and a stronger focus on corporate compliance, but the regimes do not generally prevent us from dealing with customers in a manner similar to that employed in the U.S.

Both in the U.S. and internationally, we are subject to increasing regulation relating to customer privacy and data protection. In general, we are required to disclose our data collection and processing practices as well as our use and sharing of data that we collect from or about renters. In doing so, we are obligated to take reasonable steps to protect customer data while it is in our possession and comply with individual privacy right requests. Our failure to do so could subject us to substantial legal liability, require us to bear significant remediation costs or seriously damage our reputation.

Changes in Government Regulations

Changes in government regulation of our businesses have the potential to materially alter our business practices or our profitability. Depending on the jurisdiction, those changes may come about through new legislation, the passage of new laws and regulations or changes in the interpretation of existing laws, regulations and treaties by a court, regulatory body or governmental official. Those changes may have prospective and/or retroactive effect, particularly when a change is made through reinterpretation of laws or regulations that have been in effect for some time. Moreover, changes in regulation that may seem neutral on their face could have a more significant effect on us than on our competitors, depending on the circumstances. Several U.S. states historically required “bundled pricing” by rental vehicle companies but those same states subsequently enacted statutory exceptions to allow for the separate pass-through of certain fees (e.g., airport concession fees, customer facility charges and vehicle licensing fees) with proper disclosure. In addition, the Canadian Competition Bureau has interpreted Canadian consumer law to prohibit “drip pricing” such that base rate advertising is not allowed and the first price that consumers view on the websites of rental vehicle companies must reflect the bundled price for the proposed rental. Recent or potential changes in laws or regulations that may affect us relate to insurance intermediaries, customer privacy, like-kind exchange programs, data security and rate regulation and our retail vehicle sales operations.

In addition, our operations, as well as those of our competitors, could also be affected by any limitation in the fuel or energy supply or by any imposition of mandatory allocation or rationing regulations. We are not aware of any current proposal to impose such a regime in the U.S. or internationally. Such a regime could, however, be quickly imposed if there was a serious disruption in supply for any reason, including an act of war, terrorist incident or other problem affecting petroleum or energy supply, petroleum refining, or energy distribution or pricing.

Environmental

We are subject to extensive federal, state, local and foreign environmental and safety laws, regulations, directives, rules and ordinances concerning, among other things, the operation and maintenance of vehicles; the ownership and operation of tanks for the storage of petroleum products, including gasoline, diesel fuel and oil; and the generation, storage, transportation and disposal of waste materials, including oil, vehicle wash sludge and waste water.

When applicable, we estimate and accrue for certain environmental costs, such as to study potential environmental conditions at sites deemed to require investigation or clean-up activities and for costs to implement remediation actions, including ongoing maintenance, as required. Based on information currently available, we believe that the ultimate resolution of existing environmental remediation actions and our compliance in general with environmental laws and regulations will not have a material effect on our operating results or financial condition. However, it is difficult to predict with certainty the potential impact of future compliance efforts and environmental remedial actions and thus future costs associated with such matters may exceed the amount of the estimated accrued amount.

AVAILABLE INFORMATION

You may access, free of charge, Hertz Global and Hertz's reports filed with or furnished to the SEC (including the Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K and any amendments to those reports) directly through the SEC's website (www.sec.gov) or indirectly through our website (www.hertz.com). Reports filed with or furnished to the SEC will be available as soon as reasonably practicable after they are filed with or furnished to the SEC. The information found on our website is not part of this 2023 Annual Report or any other report filed with or furnished to the SEC.

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