Director takes marketing chief’s role at Avis Europe

Avis Europe has handed responsibility for sales and marketing to board director Dieter Woitscheck following the departure of vice-president for sales and marketing Susan Hooper.

Hooper has left the car rental company to join cruise line Royal Caribbean as managing director Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Woitscheck, based in the UK, is group director business development, operations and fleet. Hooper did not hold a board position.

Avis stated at the end of May that revenues had improved in the year to date. Turnover was up compared with the same period in 2003. The boost was attributed to strong business development in Spain and new account wins in the UK.

But the company said the car hire leisure market was down compared with 2003, partly because of “continued weakness in US inbound leisure demand”.

Avis director of partnerships and marketing Jill Grinsted was parachuted into the Budget Rent A Car division to become director of sales and marketing in April (MW April 30). The company had bought Budget Rent A Car’s EMEA operations in March 2003 for £11m.

Avis Europe has been using advertising agencies on a project basis. It also appointed online marketing specialist TradeDoubler to track its online customers’ behaviour last month.