Nicholson Named President of Enterprise Rent-A-Car

ST. LOUIS - Enterprise Rent-A-Car’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Andrew C. Taylor recently announced that Pamela M. Nicholson, has been named company president, making her only the fourth person to hold the office in Enterprise’s 51-year history.

She succeeds Donald L. Ross, who will continue as vice chairman of the company and its board of directors. Nicholson will also retain her role as Enterprise’s chief operating officer and as a member of the board of directors of Crawford Group, Enterprise’s parent company.

Enterprise is a privately held company owned by the Taylor Family of St. Louis. It is a multi-national transportation company with annual revenues in excess of $12 billion, and nearly 75,000 employees.

Nicholson will oversee all of Enterprise’s transportation businesses, including Enterprise Rent-A-Car, National Car Rental, Alamo Rent A Car, Enterprise Fleet Management, Enterprise Car Sales, and Enterprise Commercial Truck Rental. Nicholson is only the second executive outside the Taylor family to serve as the company’s president, following founder Jack C. Taylor, his son, Andy, and Ross.

“Enterprise has a long tradition of developing our own managers and promoting from within,” said Andy Taylor. “Our family is fortunate to have someone with Pam Nicholson’s skills and experience to succeed Don Ross as the president of our company. Pam and Don have been members of our management team for 27 years and 43 years, respectively. Just as important, the two have worked together for more than 20 years, which will ensure a seamless transition.”

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In addition to her work at Enterprise, Nicholson serves on the board of directors for Energizer Holdings, Inc. “I can see why Pam is such an effective leader at Enterprise," said Ward M. Klein, Energizer’s chief executive officer. “She has a highly pragmatic and intelligent understanding of how to move a business forward. Her extensive operational expertise, global insights, and high character make her an excellent and valued member of our board."

Nicholson began her career with Enterprise Rent-A-Car in 1981 as a management trainee in St. Louis after graduating from the University of Missouri with a Bachelor of Arts degree. At the time, Enterprise was a small but growing regional rental car and auto leasing company with approximately 200 employees, 50 locations, 20,000 vehicles and less than $100 million in annual revenue. Within nine months she was promoted to assistant branch manager, and within a year accepted a position in the company’s recently opened and fast-growing Southern California group.

Throughout the next 12 years, Nicholson was promoted through the ranks to one of the top operating positions in Southern California – regional vice president. During that period, the Southern California group grew from 1,000 to more than 27,000 cars in its fleet, and today is the company’s largest operating group.

In 1994, Nicholson returned to her hometown of St. Louis to become a corporate vice president at Enterprise’s worldwide headquarters, overseeing the efforts of 10 operating groups located throughout the United States. She was also instrumental in establishing the first national preferred provider rental agreements between Enterprise and many of the top auto manufacturers.

In 1997, Nicholson was promoted to the top job with Enterprise’s New York group, the company’s second largest operating group. During her two years as New York’s general manager, the group enjoyed excellent fleet growth and saw its profitability more than double. She was promoted to senior vice president, North American operations in 1999 and executive vice president and chief operating officer in 2003.

Outside of her Enterprise duties, Nicholson is involved in community causes including past service on the board of the United Way of Bergen County, New Jersey; and as a past member of the board of INROADS of St. Louis, an employment program for minority college students.