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Reimagining Hertz Through A Product And Technology Lens
In recent years, Hertz has been undergoing a significant transformation under the leadership of Chief Information Officer Tim Langley-Hawthorne. The company’s focus on embracing a product and technology lens has led to a revamped approach to its operations, customer experiences, and long-term strategy.
Hertz, one of the world’s largest mobility companies, generates nearly $9 billion in annual revenue through its three brands: Hertz, Dollar, and Thrifty. With a global presence across 160 countries, over 560,000 vehicles, and 26,000 employees, it is an asset-heavy company deeply rooted in logistics, customer experience, and operational efficiency.
Langley-Hawthorne has led the full migration of legacy systems from company-owned data centers to Amazon Web Services, resulting in increased agility and reduced costs. This modernization effort has enabled Hertz to rethink its approach to technology and organizational transformation designed to reboot the company’s digital foundation.
In an effort to drive real value for the business, Langley-Hawthorne emphasized that there is no point deploying technology solely for its own sake. Instead, Hertz is focused on harnessing AI and external partnerships to enhance operational efficiency and customer experiences.
To achieve this, the CIO has fostered a culture of enablement with safeguards in place. This decentralized approach allows various teams to develop AI solutions independently while ensuring compliance and collaboration across different units.
One notable success story includes Hertz’s use of Amazon Bedrock to analyze thousands of call recordings, resulting in actionable insights from customer care and fleet operations teams. Furthermore, automated tire inspections have been introduced by the fleet operations team, which triggers maintenance based on real-time data.
Langley-Hawthorne believes that AI should not be feared but rather used as a catalyst for innovation. This sentiment has led to Hertz’s focus on strategic partnerships, where they collaborate with firms like Palantir and Amadeus to drive growth and expansion.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/peterhigh/2025/03/25/reimagining-hertz-through-a-product-and-technology-lens/
